Eternity
by thepinkpygmypuff
Summary: Ginny didn't expect her seventh year to be anything extraordinary, but then she saw him, the boy from her brother's shop, sitting at the Gryffindor table winking at her. A story about an impossible romance amidst the violence and terror of war. HG. AU.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

**Chapter 1: Instinct**

Deep down, Harry knew that this was how things were going to eventually work out. Almost as soon as he had discovered that what he could do was magic, and as soon as he had heard that Voldemort had been the cause of his biological parents' demise, he knew that one day he would end up here, on the steps of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But he hadn't really given it much of a conscious thought until the other month, when Voldemort had sought him out personally. Harry, along with the rest of his family, had been surprised that they had been found, but Voldemort had assured them that he had been searching for Harry for quite some time. This hadn't made any of them feel any better. Luckily, Harry had been studying magic as much as possible in the months beforehand and had held his own against Voldemort when he had tried to kill him. His family had escaped unscathed—despite the number of followers Voldemort had unleashed on them—and after a short discussion, in which there was a lot of arguing, they had fled to Britain.

The following months had been difficult. The Britain they had come back to was not the one they remembered. It could have been compared to a war zone with only slight exaggeration. The news was filled with mass killings, strange disappearances, weird phenomenons, and no one to blame. Each night Harry watched the television with a growing sense of purpose. He was finally strong enough to help defeat the evil that was causing all this destruction. All he needed to do was learn more about magic. He was good on his own, but Voldemort had been able to do things he'd never even dreamed of. If he ever hoped to really defeat him, he knew he'd have to have instruction. And the best place to get that instruction, he had read, was at Hogwarts.

The castle itself seemed to grow in size as he reached his hand to the large entrance door. He knocked three times and waited a moment. The door was opened by a tall, proper-looking woman. He knew immediately that he wanted the respect of this woman.

"Good evening, madam," he addressed her politely. "My name is Harry Stewart and I am here for a meeting with Headmaster Dumbledore."

The woman had to look up slightly to meet his eyes. Her surprised gaze bore into his and he watched as her eyes flicked up to his forehead, squinting slightly as they did so. He tried not to notice.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said after a moment. "I am Professor McGonagall. If you would follow me, I will take you to the headmaster's office."

"Thank you," he said in reply and followed her inside.

**oOoOo**

Dumbledore's office was even more impressive than the halls. Harry compared it to his discovery of Diagon Alley. Every place he looked held new, strange, and exciting things to see. Dumbledore's office was no different. After introducing himself to Dumbledore, he sat down and took in the portraits hanging on the walls, trying to ignore the blatant looks of curiosity he was getting and all the small trinkets that were scattered about. Dumbledore's voice pulled him out of his examination.

"I must admit I was rather surprised when I first received your letter. Nobody has seen you since you disappeared from your aunt's house nine years ago." Harry looked from the phoenix perch to see Dumbledore staring at him. Once it was obvious that Harry wasn't going to say anything, he continued.

"What made you decide to come to Hogwarts now? I am assuming from what you said in your letter that you would like to be admitted as a student?"

"Yes, sir. I'm hoping that I'll be able to expand my understanding of magic, improve my skills, and ultimately contribute heavily to the on-going war." Not only had he played out this conversation a thousand different ways in his head, but Harry had also found out all he could about Dumbledore before coming. He knew from Sirius that in the last war against Voldemort, Dumbledore had formed an organization called the Order of the Phoenix that had prevented, to some degree, Voldemort's rise to power. Harry had therefore decided that since Voldemort was back, it was logical to assume that the Order had been reformed with Dumbledore as its leader once again. Harry's objective of this meeting was not only to become a student at Hogwarts, but to join the Order if possible.

"So you have studied magic before?"

"I have been able to… harness the ability since I was twelve. I have used what I believe is called raw magic, though. I did not know at the time what it was. It was not until years later that I learned that there was an entire population of people who had the same ability as I do."

"Are you saying that you did not know what you were doing was magic until you were…?"

"Sixteen. I was sixteen." Dumbledore, a slightly shocked expression on his face, looked over Harry's shoulder.

"And now you would like to learn the magic we do, is that right?"

"Well, I think that I've got the basics pretty much down. It's the reasons behind the things that I can do that I would like to understand. And be able to apply everything in a fight," Harry said somewhat modestly. He had the feeling that perhaps he shouldn't have implied that he had learned most of what he knew in less than a year.

"A fight…" Dumbledore mused. "How much do you know about the war? You said you didn't know the wizarding world existed until a year ago, and yet you seem ready to jump right into it."

Harry quickly summarized all of the information that he had read about the last war and the current one, making sure to include that he knew about the Order and its contributions, but skipping over exactly why he wanted to fight. Dumbledore did not seem as surprised as Harry thought he would be.

"I have to say, this is a very unusual circumstance that we have. In my term as headmaster, I've never encountered a student that wanted to enroll so late. I am curious, though. Your name has been on the register since your birth, yet when we sent out your acceptance letter, the owl came back. It couldn't find you. Why do you believe that is?"

"I couldn't say, Headmaster. I don't know the intricacies of the delivery system."

"I have a theory," Dumbledore started carefully. Harry could tell by the look on his face that the conversation was about to take a turn that he probably wouldn't be comfortable with.

"You see, for owls to deliver their letters, the recipient must identify himself with the person for whom the letter is intended. It is therefore my theory that when your Hogwarts letter was sent out, you did not see yourself as Harry Potter." And that was the opening. Harry knew it well enough, but tried to keep his face neutral.

"No, sir. Ever since I started living with my family, I have considered myself a Stewart."

"And by doing that, you rid yourself of the identity of Harry Potter. That must have been why the owl could not find you." He paused and glanced down briefly at his desk. "Do you mind me asking how you came to live with the Stewarts?"

"They adopted me when I needed a family," Harry said simply. Something in his tone must have warned Dumbledore, for he did not press the subject any further. Instead, he changed the tone of the conversation so abruptly that Harry was left confused for a fraction of a second.

"If you were accepted into Hogwarts, in what year do you think you should be placed?" he asked genially.

"I have reviewed the different skills required for each level, and I believe that I am capable of all the theory and practical skills at NEWT level for all subjects, except for Potions. I have not had any practice brewing actual potions. It seems a lot like cooking, though."

"To take NEWT level classes, you would first have to pass the OWL for each subject." Harry had wondered if that would come up. He wasn't sure that there was time for three whole years to be devoted to studying. Voldemort surely wasn't going to wait for him to pass his OWLs and NEWTs. But in Harry's study of Dumbledore, he found out that he was the Supreme Mugwump, and therefore probably had enough power to override the system.

"Is it possible for me to take them before the school year starts?" Harry wasn't sure if Dumbledore would seriously consider this or not, but he had to ask. Dumbledore had no evidence whatsoever that Harry was capable of any magic at all.

"It could be arranged, I believe. But before we do that, might I ask for a demonstration? Just to be sure we are both on the same page, of course."

Harry had prepared as much as possible for this moment. This was the crucial point of the meeting. If he couldn't prove himself worthy of Hogwarts, then how would he be capable of being part of the Order? He knew that he could not fight Voldemort on his own; he needed inside support that he could only get from Dumbledore's Order. He took a deep breath out of habit to try to calm his nerves.

"What would you like me to do?"

"We can start with the basics. Could you please levitate this book," he said, gesturing to one sitting on his desk, "to the top shelf of the bookshelf to my left?"

As he spoke, Harry pulled out his wand and performed the motions that he had memorized for the Levitation Spell. The book started to float up and then immediately zoomed to the bookshelf, stacking itself neatly against the other books silently.

"You can perform spells nonverbally?" Dumbledore questioned. Harry hesitated for a fraction of a second. If he told the truth, that he really didn't need a wand and all of this was just a show so he could get in, Dumbledore probably would not take it very well and Harry's abilities might be scrutinized even further — something he definitely could not risk. Even though he knew the incantations for all of the spells in the curriculum (and then some), he thought it was a complete waste of energy to say it when it was possible for people to say it in their heads and produce the same effect. He decided that this was a perfect example of using Aurora's favorite life rule: don't and say you did. His pause was so brief that Dumbledore probably didn't even notice.

"Yes, sir. I always do the spells nonverbally." Dumbledore scrutinized him.

"What incantation did you use just then, if you please?"

"_Wingardium Leviosa_." Harry couldn't tell whether Dumbledore believed him or not.

"All right then, please transfigure the chair you are sitting on into a tree. And then, if possible, into any animal of your choice."

The rest of the afternoon passed in this fashion. Harry did everything that Dumbledore asked him, each time performing perfectly. As his testing finally came to a close, Dumbledore said he would arrange for Harry to take his OWLs sometime in August.

"Does this mean you will allow me to attend for a year?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"Provided that you pass your OWLs, yes, you will be enrolled with the seventh year class."

"Thank you, sir, for giving me this chance. I know that it will help me become a better wizard." Harry had never referred to himself that way before, but the word felt oddly comfortable on his tongue.

"You're welcome," Dumbledore started. "But I have to ask—and I'm assuming by not finding out about magic until a year or so ago that you were taken in by a Muggle family—how did you find out about magic?"

"A wizard drew his wand on me one day and threatened me. He was pretty drunk, though, so I was able to get him to tell me how to get into Diagon Alley and such."

"It seems the secrecy laws won't stop everybody," Dumbledore said.

Harry nodded. He looked out the window and noticed it was getting dark.

"Ah, time flies when you are having fun," Dumbledore said happily. "You must be hungry. I can have something brought up for you if you'd like." Harry smiled, laughing to himself internally.

"No thank you. I need to leave soon, but may I make one more request before I go?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"I read in one of the history books that in the last war you formed a resistance group called the Order of the Phoenix. I was wondering…. Well, I assume that that group has been reformed?" Dumbledore studied him over his glasses. A small crease appeared in his brow.

"Why are you asking?"

"I was hoping to become a part of it." Harry hoped he conveyed the seriousness of his proposal and that Dumbledore wouldn't disregard him because of his background in magic.

"You are only eighteen years old and haven't been involved for very long in this world. Why are you so eager to fight our battles?" Harry had to make a choice. Take the easy way out, or tell the truth and put his family and himself in danger.

"Voldemort killed my parents. I want to make sure that he can't take away the lives of other people like he did mine." There, that sounded good enough, Harry thought.

"I'm sorry Mr.… Stewart, but to be part of the Order, you must be out of school." Harry had predicted he might say that.

"What if I can prove that I'm necessary to the Order? What if I can show that my contributions could help turn the tide of the war?" He stared directly into Dumbledore's eyes, willing him to let him be a part of this.

"If you do, then we can talk about it then, I suppose." Admitting defeat, Harry stood up to shake Dumbledore's hand. He tried to ignore how Dumbledore's eyes widen at the contact, and the cursed himself for his stupidity at holding his hand out for Dumbledore to shake in the first place.

"Well, thank you for everything you've done for me."

"I will be in touch soon. I will schedule your OWLs and send you an acceptance letter that will list all the supplies needed for this year."

"Will the tuition fee be included?" Dumbledore looked slightly surprised at this.

"Oh, well yes, I suppose I can include it. Your parents left you a small sum of money for your education in Gringotts. My suggestion is to visit it when possible."

"Yes, I know. I've already gotten everything settled with the Goblins. Thank you again, sir." And with that, Harry left the room quickly. He had told his family that he would be back before dusk and was already running late. They would be worried. None of them were too thrilled with him for going alone to an unknown place with people that had unknown powers.

**oOoOo**

The rest of July passed without much fanfare. But during the first week of August, Harry received a letter, delivered by owl. Tamah, who was sitting nearest, quickly snatched it out of his hand after he had finished reading it.

"Hey!" Harry said teasingly.

"You know, I think that if I had three wishes in the world, my second would be to become a witch," she said as she skimmed the list. "I'm coming with you to get all of this stuff. I mean, look at all of it! Diagon Alley must be such a fascinating place," Tamah exclaimed excitedly in her high child's voice.

"And I must come to help you choose robes. You have no sense of fashion whatsoever, you know," Aurora said, coming and taking the letter out of Tamah's hand.

"Did I hear that Harry finally got his letter?" Adam said as he came into the room, Jane and Roger following behind him.

The letter was passed around excitedly. They couldn't all go to Diagon Alley at once—it would raise suspicion—so it was decided that several trips would be made, so everyone would have a chance to see the center of Britain's magical population.

Tamah was first in line to go, so the following day the two made their way to Diagon Alley. She bounced as she walked and could barely contain her joy at seeing so many new things. The first stop was the Apothecary's where Harry bought a Potions kit and a few other extras that he wanted. Then Tamah dragged Harry into a joke shop that she had seen—not that it was hard to do so, the signs were bright and flashing.

When they walked in, they were greeted by a girl who had short brown hair cropped close to her face, which at the moment was slightly pink. She was wearing a magenta uniform and informed them that there was a sale on all "originals" today, whatever those were.

Harry gave up trying to keep up with Tamah. She dashed all over the place, looking and touching and gathering items in her arms until one of the employees handed her a bag to carry them all. In her excitement, she got a little too careless, and Harry had to remind her that she was in public. After that, her steps slowed and she seemed to remember herself. While Tamah was off gathering up things whose effects were sure to show up later—most definitely on Adam—Harry wandered aimlessly around the store. He found many things that he really wanted to try, and started stocking up as Tamah had done. His arms were considerably larger than hers, and held a lot more, but after a short time, he saw magenta and red out of the corner of his eye, a horrible clashing of color. He turned to find one of the employees bringing him a bag like Tamah's.

"Here you go," she said, flashing a bright smile while handing the bag over. He moved his arm forward to take the bag, and then had to consciously bring it back to himself. "It'll probably make shopping a little bit easier. If you need help finding anything just ask. I'm Ginny," she said. Images were flashing in his mind. He had to get control of himself. He needed to find Tamah and get out of here.

"Thank you," he said, trying to smile back. He was pretty sure that was not what his lips were doing. He watched as she took a step back, and then realized that Tamah was standing right behind her.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Ginny said, turning to the girl, her long red hair flipping slightly. Harry tried not to move.

"It's fine, really. I was just wondering if we could leave these bags here while we do a little shopping, and then come back for them? I think it'd be easier than carrying them around everywhere," Tamah said quickly.

"Of course. I'll just put them behind the counter."

"Thank you," Tamah said as she stepped around Ginny to take the one from Harry. She then handed the bags to her and pulled Harry out of the store. Once outside, he breathed in a deep breath of fresh air, and then took another.

"What was _that_ about?" she asked.

"I… I don't know," Harry said. "But we need to go back home. Immediately." Tamah sensed the urgency in his voice, and they glided quickly through the massive crowds of the alley, drawing a few curious stares, back to the entrance into Muggle London.

**oOoOo**

Ginny stared after the two customers that had just left the store. She shivered slightly and tried to get back to work, her mind occupied completely. Deciding that restocking shelves was about as mindless a task as she was going to find, she went to the back to get some boxes.

She had noticed them when they first walked in. How could anyone not notice? Especially the boy. All the women in the store had seemed to turn their eyes as one to gawk at his perfection. Ginny had tried not to notice the way his smile lit up his face. She had looked down at the small girl beside him as a distraction. It didn't really help. They had worn such similar expressions of wonder that she couldn't stop herself from looking back up at his face. Two kids in a candy store, Ginny had thought. Putting her mind past the obvious outward appearance of both of them—one tall, strong, and gorgeous, the other young, sweet, and angelic—she had gone over to help a couple who looked completely at a loss among the craziness of the store.

But she had watched them surreptitiously out of the corner of her eye, and when she saw that the boy needed a bag—she had giggled slightly to herself at the sight he had made, walking around the store, grabbing products off the shelves and stuffing them into his arms—she jumped at the chance to talk to him. As she walked to him, she mentally prepared herself. He was just another customer and he needed to be treated with friendly respect, not ogled at as her first instinct would have her do.

As she reviewed the memory, she decided that she had not made a fool of herself, except for when she almost backed into his companion, whom she guessed was his sister. But it wasn't out of embarrassment or anything that had to do with her previous conjectures of his attractiveness that made her take a step back. For when she had looked up into his eyes, she felt her heart speed up and the adrenaline rush through her veins, her body reacting to something her mind had taken a few moments to understand: it felt it was in danger. So she had taken a step back. The look in his eyes had chilled her momentarily, and she shivered again as she started restocking one of the front counter displays.

She decided that this was a stupid line of thought to be thinking—strange people came into her brothers' store all the time. She just hoped she never saw them again. Though if she was honest with herself, she wished that her hope was in vain.

**oOoOo**

"Come on, Ginny, just stay for a couple more minutes. We really need to get the inventory list done," her brother George pleaded later that evening. Ginny sighed unhappily but agreed to stay and help.

"I want to see overtime for this," she grumbled.

"Did I hear something about overtime?" her other brother Fred asked, coming up from behind the back counter.

"Yes," George said. "Ginny here was just getting her hopes up, nothing unusual."

"Hey! I come here and work my arse off for you guys, and you won't even pay me overtime for working late so _you_ can finish _your_ inventory?"

"Ah," started Fred. "But if you would take a look at yourself right now, my Ginnikins, you'll find that you're not actually doing any work at the moment. Therefore, any overtime would be wholly undeserved, don't you think?" Ginny huffed and went back to counting boxes. A few minutes later, the bell that announced customers had walked in the front door sounded.

"I'm sorry," called one of the twins, "but we're closed."

"Oh, I do apologize," said a sweet voice. Ginny's head snapped up from her clipboard and she walked around the display to find the small girl from earlier staring up at George.

"I just came here to pick up some bags that I left here earlier. If it's a bad time, I'll come back tomorrow." Ginny could see that George was a little dazed by the strange yet beautiful little girl.

"Hello again." Ginny jumped into the conversation. "I don't know if you remember me, but…."

"Of course I do. It's very nice to see you again, Ginny. Thank you so much for letting me keep the bags here. If it's a bad time now, I can come back tomorrow to purchase the items," she said politely. Ginny was surprised at the girl's speech. She had never heard such a young girl speak so… maturely.

"That won't be necessary," Fred said from behind George.

"We can ring you up right now," George said.

"It's really no problem," Fred said as he retrieved the bags from behind the counter that Ginny pointed to.

"Thank you so much," the girl said as she stood on her tiptoes to see over the counter. "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier," she said, turning to Ginny after giving Fred exact change for the items. "My name is Tamah."

"That's a unique name," Fred said from behind the register.

"It's Hebrew actually," she said. Ginny wanted to ask her what the name of the boy she was with was, but really didn't want to draw scrutiny—and without a doubt annoying jokes from her brothers—with such a question.

"I actually have to get back home, but I must say that you have a wonderful shop. We'll definitely be back. Everything here is so… busy. It's great."

Ginny distractedly wished her a good evening, her mind occupied with the "we" she had said. She was brought out of her musings by George's voice.

"She couldn't have been more than nine, ten at the most, wouldn't you say, Fred?"

"She did look pretty young," he observed.

"So why do you think she was walking around Diagon Alley, alone, and at night, when we're in the middle of a war?" The other two didn't have a response to that.

**oOoOo**

For the next three days, Ginny was in a strange state all throughout the workday. Every time a customer walked in, she'd jerk her head up and look to see who they were. She tried to tell herself that she was being stupid, and it worked some of the time, but then the little bell would ring again and she'd feel her eyes glancing towards the door of their own accord. But then the weekend came, and they were so busy that Ginny didn't have any free time to obsess, however willing she was or not. A week passed, and the two strange customers were finally driven out of her head. Instead, she focused on her upcoming year at Hogwarts. Her last year.

She didn't quite know how she felt about that yet. She knew she was going to miss Hogwarts and everything that it represented for her. She had her family and her childhood, but Hogwarts was where she actually grew up. The place held so many memories. She met her best friend, Sarah, on the first train ride there. She learned that nothing comes easy in life, and that one must work if they really want to accomplish anything. The teachers there were her mentors, and they helped her realize that it was okay to ask for help when she needed it. She also learned that life was not fair. She had watched as numerous people she knew, people she went to class with, people she saw everyday, had their lives completely turned upside down by the war. It was hard to imagine never going back there again. Never eating dinner in the noisy hall with everyone talking over each other. Never sneaking out past curfew just to fly around the Quidditch pitch. Never walking with her friends to class. Never being able to just be a kid again. Hogwarts represented everything that she had gained, and a lot that she was going to lose.

Ginny didn't know what she was going to do after she graduated. No sudden inspiration had hit her. She decided she just didn't know herself well enough to know what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. The enormity of such a thought hadn't sunk in yet, she supposed, because although she had no clue, she wasn't that worried. Perhaps she didn't think there would be a future for anyone until the war was over.

But inside the school, there was no war. Inside the safety of Hogwarts' grounds, it was just a school, and they were just children learning magic. It was so hard for Ginny to understand the effects of the war that was raging outside the castle's walls because it never directly impacted her. She saw the effects that it had on others who had lost family and friends to Voldemort, but it was easier to ignore those parts and regress back into the simple and structured life of school than to actually think about it.

As September first grew nearer with each passing day, Ginny started to fantasize about how she'd spend her last year. Perhaps she would finally muster enough courage to tell Snape off, instead of just pranking him. Maybe she would finally get a boyfriend. That one would definitely not happen. She didn't know what it was, but she always felt so out of place in her roommates' discussions of boys. Sure, some of them were attractive, but she never felt any inclination to go out with any of them. She was pretty sure that something was wrong with her, because it seemed everybody was dating everybody else. It was impossible for her to see herself with any of the guys that she knew, and there was no way she was going to date someone just for the hell of it. She consoled herself with the idea that she just hadn't met the right guy yet.

**oOoOo**

"Harry Stewart, you are being a coward." Harry rolled his eyes and went back to the book about wards that he was reading.

"Listen to me when I talk to you!" He glanced up involuntarily. There was just no ignoring her.

"What?" he asked grumpily. Tamah had been relentless ever since they got back from Diagon Alley. She would talk and badger him about the girl at the store, even when he was studying for his OWLs. After he took those—and passed—he thought that maybe she would focus on something else, like the fact that he was leaving. But, no. Instead, an entire week and a half had passed and there was not one hour that she did not say something to him about Ginny. As if he needed reminding.

"You are being a coward," she repeated. "You are the strongest out of all of us and you know it. There's no way you would do anything to her. You need to go and see her again."

"Why on earth would I do a thing like that? You were there last time. Do you _want_ me to ruin all of our lives? I'm not going to give myself the chance. Voldemort needs to be stopped and there's no way we can do that if we're chased out of the country." Tamah glared at him.

"I can't stand it any more! I don't care if you don't want to see her, but you have to go, for my sake. Do you know how horrible this is? I can barely concentrate. The feeling… it's just gotten stronger. Please," she begged. "Just go. Take however many of us you want with you, just go and _see_ her."

Harry's heart and mind were in a conflict. There was no way he'd be able to forget when he met her, and there was no way that he'd willingly put himself in that position again. But he couldn't help but see Tamah in such discomfort and want to do everything he could to help her. Truthfully, he wished he could go see her again. There was something about her, besides the painfully obvious, that drew her to him. But it was of little consequence. He couldn't—wouldn't—put her in such danger.

"Harry," Tamah said. It sounded like she was grasping for anything. "What if it's not only important to us? What if—what if she's important? Important to the war?" Harry closed his eyes.

"I'm not strong enough," he protested weakly.

"I'll go get Roger." Harry heard the smile in her voice.

**oOoOo**

Diagon Alley was busier than Harry had ever seen it. Families were out shopping for school supplies, and Roger could barely contain himself as he watched all of them. Harry decided that they would work their way over to the joke shop; he was not even certain that she'd be there. The thought gave Harry hope.

"Come on, Roger, we can get the books I need," Harry said, digging through his pocket for his list of supplies.

"Sounds great!" he replied. Roger loved to read. Anything. It was scary how many books he had read in his lifetime, and Harry knew that he'd already read all those on magic that they had in the house. Perhaps they should have stopped by Gringotts on the way to the bookstore.

It was crowded in the store, but Roger navigated through everyone with ease. By the time Harry had located all the necessary books, picking up some others that had caught his eye as well, Roger had come back with twelve books piled precariously in his right hand.

"Ready?" Harry asked, eyeing the stack of books. "Grindelwald? I thought you already read two books on him."

"Yeah, I have," Roger said, nodding. "Tamah asked me to get those for her." Harry grimaced.

"Oh," was all he could say.

"Should we check out?" Roger asked, glancing towards the huge crowd around the register.

"Might as well," Harry shrugged, and followed him to the large line.

"What's next on the list?" Roger asked.

"I thought we'd stop by the Quidditch store next. I wanted to get a broom. From the descriptions in the Quidditch books, it sounds like flying is similar to running," Harry said in a low rush, watching as the two children in front of them huddled closer to their parents.

"Awesome. Do you think that I'd be able to fly on one?"

"I think so. They're enchanted, so it's not the magic from the actual person that makes them fly."

"Maybe we should get six.".

Harry laughed. "That would probably be a little conspicuous, don't you think?"

"Probably," Roger conceded. "But I'm sure people buy _two_ brooms all the time."

They ended up purchasing two Firebolts. The cashier seemed slightly surprised when they had first come up and said they wanted to buy two of whatever broom was in the window. But after being given a handful of gold coins, he happily rang them up, wishing them a fantastic day as they walked out the door.

Harry looked at his list. All he had left to get were school robes, and he had promised Aurora that she could help him get a whole new wizarding wardrobe. He looked down the alley, saw the huge, flashing sign for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, and leaned up against the wall of a nearby store. Roger looked at him expectantly.

"You do realize that I was given specific instructions to make sure you go in that store, right?" Of course he was. Tamah had probably threatened him too, listing out things to make his life miserable if he brought Harry back without having been in the joke shop. He sighed.

"Yeah, I figured as much." They started walking.

All too soon, for Harry at least, they were in front of the shop. Ginny was definitely in there. He turned and walked away a little, then came back.

"Ready?" Roger asked him, looking a little tense himself. Harry nodded and walked in after Roger opened the door. The place was even crazier than it had been the other day. The noise was deafening, but he heard something that made him smile. A strange reaction. He turned to his left. There, in the far corner of the store, was Ginny. She didn't seem so dangerous now that he was here, looking at her. Something or someone gave him a small push on his back. He glanced back and saw Roger right behind him, looking at him concernedly.

"I'm fine, actually," Harry said quickly to him.

He looked back to find her staring at him. He smiled slightly at her, and she smiled back, her cheeks becoming a lovely pink. Harry was rooted to the spot. He glanced fearfully behind him and was assured by the fact that Roger was still there.

"No sudden movements," Roger whispered to him and then walked away.

**oOoOo**

Ginny's heart started beating faster when she saw him smiling at her. She paid no mind to the other boy he was with. He looked even better than when she first saw him. She couldn't decide whether to go over there and talk to him or not. The decision was taken out of her hands, however, when she saw him start to walk over. His walk was slow and deliberate, but there was a graceful flow about it. Ginny couldn't stop staring. He navigated quickly and silently around the customers. When had they stopped talking? She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She watched as he hesitated, glancing back at the boy behind him, then kept moving towards her. She decided to take a step forward.

"Ginny!" Fred said, coming up behind her. "You need to work the till!" Her wand was in her hand before she even realized she was holding it. She looked around at all the people, and then thought better of cursing her brother into the unknown.

"I'm going," she replied exasperatedly, glancing again at the boy. His eyes remained on her as she walked to the nearest till, watching his eyes follow her. They made her skin rather warm. It was necessary now that she concentrate.

"How are you doing today, ma'am?" she asked the first customer in her line politely.

"Oh, I'm doing just fine, dear. I just need this for my son's birthday that's coming up."

She had to be careful to ring the items up correctly. After dealing with a few more customers, she looked up from her register to see him standing there, smiling at her.

"Hey," he breathed.

"Hi." She didn't think she could blink.

"I was wondering if I could purchase this?" He was holding one of the items that they had displayed on the checkout counter. She wondered if he had gotten in line just to talk to her. Her heart beat harder.

"Of course." He placed the item on the counter and she rang it up. He dug around in his pockets for coins and Ginny watched him, fascinated.

"You were in here earlier last week, weren't you?" she asked shyly. He looked up, slightly startled.

"Oh, um… yeah. With my sister." He hesitated. "She said you were very nice to her when she came in after closing to get the bags we left." Ginny didn't know what to say to that. "I'm Harry, by the way," he said, giving her the money.

"I'm Ginny." She put away the money and handed him his bag. "Have a nice day, Harry," she said, smiling.

"You too, Ginny." He flashed his white teeth at her and then walked away. The man who was next in line had to tap on the counter to get her attention.

**oOoOo**

Ginny wasn't sure which one of her brothers she wanted to hex first. George was a good candidate, as he spent the rest of her shift making fun of her, even getting some of the regular customers in on it too. But then again, Fred was the one who announced to the entire family that evening at the dinner table that she met her future husband today, the one who was going to beat out Harry Potter for the position. They did not seem to realize she was _not_ ten years old anymore and couldn't care less about Harry bloody Potter. That wasn't to say it did not escape her notice that the boy's name was Harry, but thankfully her brothers did not know that, and she had no inclination to make them aware of it.

"So, what is this about your future husband?" Hermione asked her when they were alone in her room. It was getting late, but Hermione had insisted she stay for a little while longer, claiming it did not take long to Floo back to her flat.

"He is not my future husband," Ginny said irritably, brushing out her long, red hair. "He's just some guy that I met in the shop. The only reason they're making fun of me is because they're jealous. I mean honestly, I'm jealous of him and I'm not even a guy!"

"Why?"

"You'd have to see him, Hermione. There are no words to explain…."

"Knocked you speechless, did he?"

"No. I had a perfectly normal conversation with him. He even told me his name." Whoops.

"So, what's his name?" Ginny's gaze jumped from object to object in her room. Definitely not suspicious.

"You have to swear you won't tell _anyone_, not even Ron."

Hermione rolled her eyes but consented, adding, "This is stupid. It's just a name. What are you afraid of?"

"My…_wonderful_ and _caring_ brothers. They'll make my life miserable." She took a deep breath. "His name's Harry." One. Two. Three. Hermione started laughing. Great friend.

"It's not funny! And would you keep it down?"

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry. You're right. It's just so… ironic. Who would have thought that you'd fall for a guy named Harry? Ha! It's just too perfect."

"Oh, ha, ha, ha. And I haven't fallen for him as you so eloquently put it. I admit I find him attractive, but my goodness, I just met him!"

Hermione simply nodded in that jokingly condescending way that she did, and bid Ginny goodnight.

Ginny's dreams that night were filled with strange, nonsensical images. She twisted and turned in her bed all night, and woke early the next morning. As soon as she opened her eyes, the dreams started to slip out of her mind's reach. All that remained was a pair of blood red eyes.

**oOoOo**

The sun was rising, and blue and purple clouds filled the lightening sky, but all of this was missed by the Stewart family. All of them were gathered in the living room of their small flat, each with a book in their lap. While the rest of them were engrossed in their own little worlds, Harry's eyes hadn't read a single sentence the entire time. It was impossible not to think about everything that had happened yesterday, several times over. What could it mean? Ginny was obviously important. That was obvious when Tamah came bounding over to him after he had returned home with a smile on her face, announcing that she felt better about the whole situation in general, and suggested he visit her again as soon as he had the chance. Harry declined, stating that the only reason he went there in the first place was to make Tamah happy. While that wasn't completely true, it had been the main determining factor. And he had gone. And he was fine. They were all fine. And now that he knew he could, the idea of visiting Ginny became more and more appealing as time went on. But he couldn't today. If he stopped by again, who knew how it would be received. It was probably better that he didn't. Plus, he was taking Aurora with him. If anyone was bound to stir up trouble for him, it was Aurora; she fancied herself a matchmaker. Harry looked over to her beautiful form that was curled up on a chair. He simply thought she was bitter.

When the sun started to shine directly into the room, a tap was heard on the window. Harry went over to it and opened it. The owl that had tapped flew into the room. After removing the Daily Prophet from its leg, Harry watched the owl immediately swoop back out the window. He sat back down, wary of the paper's contents. This morning's headline read: "Dark Mark Seen Twice." It was no different than usual. There was never good news anymore. He quickly read through the paper and passed it on to Adam as he walked out to get the Muggle paper.

That paper had a completely different headline: "Six Missing, Presumed Dead." Harry hurried back inside to read the entire story. Police had been called by a frantic nine-year-old earlier that morning, who had woken up to find both his parents and his seventeen-year-old sister missing. During routine questioning of the neighbors, the police found that the neighboring houses on either side were also missing people. A total of six had gone missing, four adults and two teenagers. The police were baffled. There was no sign of forced entry, the children had heard no noise, and there was no sign of a struggle in any of the three houses. Three houses right next to each other. Harry furrowed his forehead. There was no way that a Muggle had done this. But they had left the small children unharmed. It didn't make any sense.

"Dad, I think you should read this," he said to Adam.

"Sure, pass it over." He looked at it for a moment. "Do you think it was wizards?" he asked Harry.

"I don't know, but it's very suspicious. Three houses, only adults taken—if you count the teenagers as such. The children…. Death Eaters would have spared nobody."

"What would wizards want with six Muggles?" Adam asked.

"I don't know. Usually they just… kill them."

"Adam, dear, let me see the paper," Jane said, stretching her hand towards him. "Do you think," she said after a second, "that they were able to find homes for the children?"

"Mum, we can't take them in," Tamah said from her place on the couch. "There's a war going on. How are we going to help if there are innocent children running around? Remember when Harry was smaller?" Jane nodded reluctantly.

"I know, sweetie, but I can't help but wonder what'll happen to them…."

"I'm sure they have family that will gladly take them in," Harry said. He did not like the direction of the conversation. There was absolutely no way that there could be Muggle children, here, where things were decidedly not-Muggle.

"Do you think it's late enough to go?" Aurora asked once Jane had turned back to the book she was reading. He looked at the clock. Nine o'clock.

"Absolutely."

"Okay, then. We'll be back later!" Aurora called to the family, already out of her seat and halfway to the front door. Harry followed after her, waving goodbye to the rest of his subdued family.

He was not excited, he told himself as they made their way onto the sidewalk. There was no anticipation for this trip whatsoever. He was going clothes shopping. He hated clothes shopping. It was boring and all the robes looked the same. He was definitely not excited. He was unaware that his strides had become longer.

**oOoOo**

The lady at the robe shop was friendly, but there was no way that she was going to hold Harry's attention. He swore he could smell Ginny. Perhaps the knowledge that she was close, just a couple stores down, was messing with his senses.

Aurora had him try on what felt like a hundred different styles and colors of robes. He was pretty sure that he really only needed normal, black robes. He asked for such, and Aurora added on about twenty thousand more. So, by the time they—meaning Aurora—were done ordering everything, it was already noon.

"So, what would you like to do next?" Harry asked her as they walked out of the store. Her eyes lit up dangerously and Harry regretted asking the question.

"I'd like to go check out Knockturn Alley." Harry let out a sigh of relief.

"Sure, no problem," he said as he turned toward the entrance to the dark alley. He was actually rather curious about it himself.

"Then I want to meet this girl everyone's talking about. Jane seems convinced that—well, it doesn't really matter. I do want to meet her though."

"You do realize she's probably going to think I'm stalking her."

"You are."

"No, I'm not," Harry said indignantly.

"Yes, you are," she argued back. "You're just doing it subconsciously."

Harry didn't respond and instead turned his attention to his immediate surroundings. The shops were dramatically closer together in Knockturn Alley and the walk was narrow and dark. Many of the shops had unpleasant names and Harry knew that Aurora would be coming back here on her own. She pulled him into a couple of stores that really caught her eye and Harry spent the majority of the time examining everything with wide, disbelieving eyes, and trying to keep his hands as close to himself as possible. Aurora went gracefully around the stores, reading descriptions and absorbing all the knowledge of the dark artifacts. A lot of the people that were in the stores were hidden beneath large, dark cloaks, but the ones whose heads were visible gave the pair odd looks. No one dared approach them, though Harry noticed that many of the men's eyes followed Aurora's movements. He sighed disgustedly to himself and wondered which one of them was going to be Aurora's new love of the month. He hoped the man would be at least a little interesting. The last one she had entranced only offered her the allure of weaponry. He had little, if no sense of humor. In fact, Harry was pretty sure that he had had no sense of any kind.

Aurora decided, after she had purchased a powder that if ingested would kill the person slowly by eating away at their organs, it was time to meet Ginny. Harry, both reluctant and eager, followed his sister out of the dark and dangerous alley to its opposite extreme: Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

**oOoOo**

Fred and George had just told Ginny to go home, and she was grabbing her bag when the bell rang and in walked the object of her denial for the past week or so. With a girl. Who did not look like his sister. Ginny felt an odd feeling in her chest and tried to ignore it. She slung her bag over her shoulder and started to walk towards the door. Each step brought her closer to him and the beautiful girl he was with. Ginny repressed with little success the inadequacy she felt.

"Hi, Ginny," he said as she approached. She was slightly surprised he remembered her name.

"Hey, Harry. Back again so soon?" she said as she came to a stop in front of him. He shrugged.

"Yeah… actually," he said as if he suddenly remembered why he was here, "Aurora was looking for some beauty products. We heard they've got a really good selection here even though it's a joke shop." Ginny assumed he was talking about the woman next to him and looked at him like he was crazy. There was no way she needed any type of beauty products. Ginny doubted that she even knew what a bad hair day was.

"Oh, right," Harry said, interrupting her self-deprecating thoughts. "This is Aurora, my sister."

_Sister_.

"It's very nice to meet you," Ginny said with a lot more feeling. "There's a whole section with those types of products over there," she said and pointed to the girly-looking section. "And if you need any help, you can ask anyone with a magenta shirt on. I'm actually sort of late for lunch, and my mum might start to worry so… um… it was nice meeting you, Aurora. And nice seeing you again, Harry." She hoped she didn't come off as rude, and she really did want to stay, but she knew her mother would come over here herself if she wasn't home in the next five minutes.

"I'm very sorry to have kept you," Aurora said in an airy voice. "Harry over here just _insisted_ that we stop by to—"

"We won't keep you any longer," Harry said loudly over her and smiled as he dragged Aurora over to the pink shelves. Ginny stared after him a moment and then rushed out the door. She hoped she could get home before her mum Flooed her father to report her captured by Death Eaters. Sometimes she was just too overprotective for anyone's well being.

**oOoOo**

Ginny arrived home in time to stop her mother from Flooing to Diagon Alley herself. She blamed the twins—who hadn't let her go until ten minutes after they had said they would—and completely left out her short encounter with Harry and his (deep sigh of relief) sister. The rest of the day she lazed around the house, rejoicing in the fact that it had been her last day of work. September first was only two days away. She passed the time putting last minute touches on her homework and writing a final letter to her best friend, Sarah, hinting at something important she wanted to tell her.

The long awaited day finally arrived and with it brought the usual, slightly nervous case of jitters that Ginny got every year. It was difficult to sit still on her final ride to the station, and even Ron and Hermione sitting in the back seat arguing about their wedding plans didn't give her the usual sense of normality. They arrived at the station, and as soon as they were on the platform, Ginny started looking around for the tall, honey blond haired girl that was her best friend.

"Now, Ginny," her mother said, drawing her attention away from the crowd of people and to herself instead. "I know this is your last year, but it's probably the most important yet. If you do well on your NEWTs, it'll open up a lot of job opportunities for you, so I want you to take your schoolwork seriously. Just because it's your last year does not mean you get to waste it by not doing your work."

Ginny simply nodded and patted the older woman's back gently when she hugged her tightly. It had been pretty much the same speech every year. First year, it was how she should do her work, because it was important that she establish a good work ethic and showed the teachers what a good student she was. Second year, she was instructed not to slack off just because she wasn't new anymore. Third year, it was all about the electives and how they would help her in her future so she had to do well in those. Fourth year was when it started about the OWLs. Fifth year, the pressure was really piled on, not only by her mother but by Hermione too. Sixth year was not the year to celebrate just because she passed her OWLs, it was the year for her to start to prepare for NEWTs and ensure her successful future.

After her mother had finished squeezing the life out of her, her father gave her a hug and whispered in her ear, "It's the last year you are truly able to be a kid. Make the most of it."

She flashed her father a bright smile as she pulled away. She said goodbye to Ron and Hermione, who were drawing a rather large bit of attention to themselves over their argument about the silverware they were going to have, and then sped off with her trunk in search of Sarah. She hadn't mentioned Harry in any of her letters to her over the summer. It seemed to Ginny that that tidbit of information was best delivered in person.

She saw her in their normal compartment, leaning out the door and waving her over. Ginny quickly climbed aboard and shoved her trunk into the overhead compartment. Sarah gave her a huge hug before they sat down, casting locking charms on the door so they wouldn't be bothered.

"So, how was your summer?" Sarah asked immediately. It was the only introduction that Ginny needed. She launched into her story, and the two didn't even notice as the train blew its whistle and started to move.

**oOoOo**

Time passed quickly in the compartment, and soon the two girls were walking towards the carriages at Hogsmeade. They ran into some friends and they all scrambled into one of the carriages, eager to get to the castle so they could eat. The friends all chatted happily about their summers during the short trip to Hogwarts' gates and to the Great Hall where many were already seated. The group sat down in the middle of the table, and more than one person complained about how hungry they were. Ginny watched as the rest of the students filed in and found seats. As the last few stragglers came in, she turned her eyes towards the tables. Her eyes accidentally met those of a boy from Ravenclaw. Michael Corner. She immediately looked down. She hated it when others caught her looking at them, however unintentional it may be, but she had seen the smile he had sent her. She sighed. He'd been doing that since last year. When she would walk to class, he would pop up out of nowhere and start chatting like they were old friends. It got really annoying after a while—he had a seemingly endless supply of mindless topics at his disposal—but she tried to be nice and answer his questions. It got to the point where he could carry on a conversation almost entirely by himself; she only needed to nod in the right places. Ginny didn't know why he didn't get the hint. She'd never given him any indication that she was interested, but he still showed up with his conversational self, inserting flirtatious comments on occasion. It always made her uncomfortable when he did that and almost always brought an awkward blush to her face. She stared more intently at the table. She could still feel his eyes on her.

Dumbledore stood, the Hall fell silent, and he started the usual welcome speech. And that was when it happened. As her eyes made their way slowly up to the head table, they fell on the last person she ever expected to see at Hogwarts. All the way at the end of the Gryffindor table sat Harry. As if he felt her eyes on him, he turned around, smiled at her, and then winked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Going Under**

Harry certainly didn't expect to be entertained when Ginny saw him, but she looked so astonished that he couldn't help but laugh softly. He stared at her until she closed her slightly open mouth, and then he turned around. Nothing could have prepared him for the feeling he felt when he saw her walk into the Great Hall. He felt something akin to when he was around his family, but it was different somehow. Greater. He decided that he was happy to see her. It made him feel warm inside to see her face, and that was something very difficult to do.

Once the food appeared on the table, he surreptitiously looked around the Great Hall, memorizing faces and names. Some of the Slytherins had the same last names as a few of Voldemort's followers. He made a note of them and their acquaintances. They didn't seem too dangerous or able to provide Harry with any helpful information, but he thought he should keep an eye on them just in case. He noticed that a boy named Michael Corner seemed to look at Ginny a ridiculous amount. Harry decided he needed to keep an eye on him too. Once he finished his scan of the hall and everyone was starting on afters, he turned his eyes toward Ginny. She had a plate of what seemed to be every kind of pudding on the table. He watched with a small smile on his face as she listened intently to her friend Sarah ramble on about her newest crush.

Harry was very excited to be here. He wanted to learn as much as he could, so when he first went to Dumbledore about admitting him into the school, he viewed it as more of an inevitable obligation he'd placed on himself. Now he was really looking forward to not only the knowledge he would gain, but the experiences. Instead of just being an institution of learning, Hogwarts now seemed to be a place where he would make new friends and be able to live part of his life. He wished that his family could join him here. He knew that they would love the atmosphere of the school. Every place they had lived was never able to become a home. It wasn't any fault of his family's, but they always had to move before they could really settle in and make friends. Hogwarts was beginning to appear to Harry as the place that could change all of that.

After Dumbledore made his final announcements, the entire hall seemed to stand up as one and try to make their way out the doors. Harry remained seated, and wondered who would make the first move. He watched as Ginny hesitated in rising with her friend Sarah, glancing curiously to where Harry was seated further down the table. She bit her lip as she glanced from Harry to Sarah to the table in quick succession. She stood up and started walking very slowly towards the doors, throwing a quick look over her shoulder. Harry took that as his cue. He got up, noticing everyone who was near him turn their eyes in his direction, and then started following a good distance behind Ginny. He followed them all the way to the common room, and right before they went in, he walked up behind her. It had taken him the entire time to figure out what he was going to say to her. He was worried he would scare her away if he did anything remotely out of the ordinary. It was especially difficult since he hadn't had any practice with these kinds of things. He also had his naturally shy personality working against him. Trying to move past all that, he walked up to Ginny's side once she stopped and said softly, "Hey, Ginny."

She turned her head to look at him and gave him the prettiest smile Harry had every seen. He couldn't help but smile back.

"I didn't know you went to Hogwarts," she said, waving Sarah inside the portrait hole.

"I didn't. I just started this year," Harry said, walking along beside her as she started to walk away from the common room. He didn't know where she was going; he didn't think she really knew either.

"How does that work?"

"I asked Dumbledore to let me come for just a year and he miraculously agreed."

"What school did you go to before?"

"Oh… um… I didn't really go to school," he said quietly.

"Really?" Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "So are you starting your first year?" She smiled slightly as she said this, and Harry laughed at the picture of him in a classroom of eleven-year-olds.

"No, I'm just here to take some of the NEWT level classes."

"Wow… where did you study to learn all of that?"

"I was sort of home-schooled."

"Was it hard learning without all the different professors and everything?" Harry had never really thought about it. He took a second to answer, reflecting on his studying of magic.

"For some of the harder concepts it was difficult, and it took me quite a while to get it. But that's why I came here, to understand the stuff that I wasn't able to figure out on my own."

She smiled and he tried to think of something to say.

"So what year are you in?" he finally decided on.

"Seventh."

"Your last year. Are you excited about finally graduating?" Harry thought she looked a bit stressed at the question.

"I…I don't know. I am...but then at the same time I'm not."

"You don't want to leave Hogwarts," he stated.

"That's definitely part of it."

"I can tell already that I'm going to have a hard time leaving and I'm not going to be here for seven years."

Harry was about to walk up the stairs that they had reached, but Ginny turned around and started walking back in the direction of the common room.

"Have you seen the common room yet?" she asked, almost as if it was an excuse for turning back already.

"Actually, Professor McGonagall showed me around the school earlier today and gave me a tour of the Gryffindor tower. It was…really comfortable looking." When Harry had first seen the common room, he compared it to all of the houses and apartments that they had ever lived in. Nothing could compare. The common room was welcoming, comfortable and warm. None of their living rooms had ever had that kind of feel.

"I really love the common room. The couch is really comfortable. I've fallen asleep on it so many times over the years that I've lost count." Harry smiled sadly at her.

"What?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

She looked at him for a moment. "Never mind," she said. They were outside the common room. "Oh no, I don't know the password."

"Hello again," Harry addressed the Fat Lady.

"Hello, Mr. Stewart. I see you've met Miss Weasley, a wonderful young lady if I do say so myself. You must ask her to tell you the story about—"

"Actually, really, there's no need. The story's not that interesting anyway," Ginny interrupted, glaring at the Fat Lady.

"Fizzing Whizbees," Harry said, deciding to ask the Fat Lady about the story later that night. It obviously involved Ginny, and he was strangely eager to hear it.

All the conversations in the common room halted when the two walked in. Harry kept his face neutral, wishing he could glare at those who were openly staring at him, but he knew that it would not make a good first impression. Ginny, however, had no such problem and—though her face was pink from all the attention—she picked out individual people and stared at them until they looked away.

"I'll see you later, Harry, yeah?" she said once some talking had started up again.

"Of course." He wanted to ask her to stay, to sit by the fire and talk, to do anything, but was too afraid.

"How about breakfast tomorrow?"

Harry smiled. "I'll meet you down here," he replied. She smiled in response and after wishing him a goodnight, went up the staircase to the girls' dorm rooms.

**oOoOo**

As she was walking up the stairs—after glancing back at Harry only once—she realized that, even though she knew she was smiling, she couldn't stop. The strange and beautiful boy from her brothers' shop was at Hogwarts! With her. For a whole year. She hoped that he didn't find her too forward, but she just had to know she'd see him tomorrow. Now they were going to eat breakfast together. This line of thinking wasn't helping her smiling issues. She had to get her facial expressions under control before she walked into her dorm room. There was no doubt that her gossipy room mates would be sitting on the edges of their beds waiting for her. She was sure that they had all seen Harry. How could they not notice him? She really needed to stop smiling.

She stood in front of the seventh year girls' dorm room for a moment, trying to collect herself so she would appear normal. She took a deep breath and opened the door, but even after six years of practice, she wasn't prepared for the onslaught.

"Ginny!" they cried when they saw her. They were all pajama-clad and crowded on Sarah's bed.

"Come over here and spill. We want to hear all about your summer," Caroline told her.

Ginny rolled her eyes as she pulled out her pajamas from her trunk. She had an uneventful summer in their eyes: no exploits with boys.

"I went to Egypt with Bill," she said.

"Did you meet any guys?"

Because she was still in a good mood from her short chat with Harry, Ginny decided to be polite. "No, not really. I mostly hung around with Bill. I met some other curse breakers. They were nice." She left it at that.

"What about that new boy? I saw you talking to him in the hallway." Ginny turned to Lindsey. This conversation was turning into an interrogation.

"He's new here. I'd seen him before in my brothers' joke shop. He was just asking me about Hogwarts," Ginny said as nonchalantly as she could as she climbed into her own bed.

"What's his name?"

Ginny decided that she couldn't very well deny them his name. They'd find it out sooner or later anyway.

"Harry," she said.

"Do you know his last name?" Sarah asked. Ginny was surprised. While her best friend may have been the gossip queen of the school, she never tried to get information out of her around the other girls. She gossiped, but she never gossiped about Ginny and she certainly never brought her into the gossiping.

"The Fat Lady called him Stewart," Ginny said nicely to Sarah. Something about the way she was looking at her, though, made her slightly worried. "Well, I'm pretty tired so I think I'm going to go to bed early tonight. Goodnight."

"'Night, Ginny," Sarah said. The other girls chorused after her, wishing Ginny sweet dreams. They all had disappointed looks on their faces. Ginny ignored their pleading eyes, crawled into bed, and closed the curtains.

"That's so weird," she heard one of them say. "He's too old to just be starting Hogwarts. Do you think he'll be in our classes?"

"Oh, I hope so," Caroline's unmistakable voice replied. Ginny felt sorry for Harry. She had always imagined Caroline as a giant bird, with huge claws that would violently snatch up her prey.

Ginny cast a spell on her curtains so she wouldn't have to listen to her room mates talk half the night away.

**oOoOo**

When she reached the common room the next morning, she found Harry already seated on the couch by the fire with his book bag. It was earlier than when most people went to breakfast, but Ginny had gotten up extra early and taken longer than usual to get ready for the day—because it was the first day of classes, of course.

"Good morning," Harry greeted her when he saw her.

"Morning," she said back, wondering how he could look so awake—so perfect—this early in the morning.

"Are you ready to go to breakfast?"

"Yeah," she replied as she tried to stifle a yawn. He got up and she followed him out of the portrait hole. They walked in silence to the Great Hall. Ginny was too tired to think of anything to say that sounded remotely sane, and Harry didn't seem to mind the silence so she didn't try.

They weren't the first ones to arrive. Many of the teachers and a small scattering a students were already eating. When they walked in, however, Ginny saw all the eyes in the room turn and stare. She felt rather than saw Harry shrink into himself a little. She didn't know how she knew this, but when she looked over, he was looking at the floor. He was shy. The thought surprised Ginny. For someone who looked like he did, she didn't think it possible for him to be shy. But there he was.

"Let's sit at the end," she suggested quietly. He smiled and quickly nodded his agreement. They reached the end of the table, away from everyone, and Ginny sat down across from him.

She took her plate and filled it with small portions of different kinds of food. It was hard for her to eat so early in the morning—she just didn't have an appetite—but she always got hungry during her second class. She filled a cup of coffee for herself and sat it down only after sipping on it until it was half gone.

"Are you excited about starting classes?" she asked Harry, who had remained still and silent during her breakfast routine.

He nodded. "Yeah, but I'm kind of nervous too. I'm worried that I missed some big lesson that you guys all know and I don't."

"Don't worry," Ginny said after she ate a little bit, "If you don't know something, I'll fill you in. That is, unless I don't know either."

"I'm worried more about everyday things. Like…." He paused. "Did you grow up in the magical world?"

"Yeah."

"It's the things that you grew up with that I don't know. Customs, etiquette, things like that. They might be different than they are in the Muggle world."

"Nah, not really. Muggleborns get along just fine," Ginny assured him. First he was shy, and now he was insecure. Ginny didn't know what to make of him. Of course, she had never talked to him enough to find out what kind of person he was. He seemed very nice at the store, but it was hard to tell what a person was like just from a few minutes of conversation. It seemed he was comfortable opening up to her. Perhaps she was the only friend he had at Hogwarts. She wondered if he considered her his friend as she chewed the last bit of her breakfast, trying not to stare at him anymore than necessary. He didn't seem to like staring. As a matter of fact, neither did she. Of course, she had never been an object of much staring. He, on the other hand, seemed to draw people's eyes like a moth to a flame.

"So, both your parents are magical?" he asked, drawing her out of her reverie.

"Mm hmm," she sounded, her mouth full.

"What was it like growing up with magic?"

Ginny thought about it and decided it was a hard question to answer. "I'm not quite sure. I've always lived with it, the knowledge of magic, so it's kind of hard to describe. Magical, I guess. It was normal to have things explode and change and fly…. I would fly a lot in the backyard," she told him, becoming slightly nostalgic. "It was my favorite thing to do. Actually…" She paused and looked conspiratorially at him. "I would sneak out at night and practice flying. I did it for years. My brothers were so surprised when I tried out for the Quidditch team in my fourth year and made it."

"You have siblings?" he asked curiously. Ginny hoped she wasn't boring him with her rambling.

"Six. And all brothers. I'm the youngest. Yay me. Well, I shouldn't say that—my family's great."

"And being the youngest has its advantages," Harry said knowingly. Ginny shrugged.

"Is your sister—Tamah, right?" Harry nodded. "Is she the youngest?"

"She certainly gets a lot of the advantages of that title," Harry said. Ginny wouldn't realize until later that he didn't actually answer her question.

Harry had been looking at Ginny during their entire conversation, but his eyes shot suddenly above her shoulder. Ginny reflexively turned to look at whatever had caught his attention, and saw McGonagall coming around with the timetables. The professor silently handed sheets of parchment to both of them, and then walked away after giving Harry a strange look.

"What classes are you taking?" he asked her after glancing at his schedule.

"Um, today I've got Charms first and then Herbology. And after lunch, Defense and Astronomy."

"We've got Charms and Defense together." Ginny told herself that she imagined the happiness in his voice. "You don't seem too excited about Herbology."

"I'm not. My mum pretty much guilted me into taking it because I got an E on my OWL. It's really boring and really hard."

"At least you'll know what types of plants are poisonous or dangerous. You never know, something you learn in there could save your life one day."

"I hope it doesn't," Ginny said sourly.

"Why not?" Harry asked surprised.

"Because it would mean that my life would be in danger, first of all, and second, it would mean I couldn't complain about the class anymore, seeing as it would have saved my life and everything." Harry laughed. He looked like he was about to say something, but the bell sounded and Ginny jumped.

"Oh my gosh, I didn't realize the time!" she exclaimed, quickly slinging her bag over her shoulder and starting to walk rapidly toward the doors. Harry followed leisurely, somehow ending up at the doors before her. She looked at him confusedly for a second, and then continued her frantic dash towards the Charms classroom.

"You're not going to be late," he said soothingly, matching her pace easily.

"I don't want to chance it," she said, glancing at him. This act proved to be detrimental to the speed that she wanted to maintain because she stumbled a bit over her own feet and her pace slowed.

"I think someone's calling your name," he told her.

"What?" Ginny asked.

"That girl behind us that's practically running," he said, turning his head to look back. Ginny turned around and saw Sarah. She stopped and waited for her.

"I'll see you in class," Harry said, taking his leave. Ginny smiled and nodded. She watched him walk up the stairs and jerked slightly when Sarah started waving a hand in front of her face.

"He likes you," Sarah said observantly once Ginny started walking again.

"What?" Ginny didn't want to listen to her nonsense this early in the morning.

"He didn't take his eyes off of you at all during breakfast. He didn't even eat anything."

Ginny looked at Sarah strangely. Of course he ate, they had had breakfast together. But then Ginny thought about it and realized he had put food on his plate when she did, but had never actually eaten anything.

"Maybe he wasn't hungry," Ginny said after a moment.

"He still couldn't keep his eyes off you."

"We were talking. It's natural to look at people when they talk."

"Not to that extent."

Ginny rolled her eyes and they entered the Charms classroom just as the late bell rang.

**oOoOo**

Harry sat down at the desk nearest to the door, just in case. He wanted desperately for Ginny to walk through the door and sit beside him, and yet he hoped she would walk on by and sit in the back. He knew she wouldn't sit by him. He could tell that she and Sarah were very good friends and therefore would likely want to sit together.

A girl with long brown hair and too much perfume walked in the door, looked at Harry sitting alone at the table, and sat down in the empty seat next to him. Harry was silently gagging on her overpowering perfume, but tried to keep his expression neutral.

"Hello," she said in an overly sweet voice. "False" was the first word that came to Harry's mind.

"Hi," he replied as politely as he could manage.

"My name's Caroline Bingley," she said as she leaned closer to him, but then she hesitated and drew back, slightly confused and subconsciously wary.

"I'm Harry Stewart." He had a sudden urge to run out of the classroom, away from this girl.

"So, you're new here?" She was blinking a lot more than normal people did. Harry tried to ignore her abnormal behavior.

"Yes," he said, his voice neutral. Appearance was everything for this girl, he could tell. He felt that this conversation could make or break some vital first impression on the student body. He kept his tone in check, and carefully constructed his face into one of friendliness.

"That's so strange. I've never heard of someone only coming for one year."

_Oh no_, Harry thought to himself. She was one of _those_ people: nosy. Harry couldn't dislike her on that premise—he himself was happier knowing more information than less—but he still found people like her annoying. Harry was more subtle when he gathered information.

"I was home schooled, but Dumbledore let me come for a year so I would be better prepared for my NEWTs."

Harry turned his head sharply towards the door. Ginny and Sarah walked in as the bell sounded. Ginny smiled at him and went with Sarah to an empty desk near the middle of the room. She smelled so much better than Caroline, who was at the moment sitting too close for comfort. Harry realized with some annoyance that her proximity to him wasn't her fault; it was how the desks were made. He cursed the designer of the desks and wondered what on earth they were thinking when they designed them so people would have to sit so close together.

After Flitwick gave a short speech about NEWTs, which made Harry even more determined to learn as much as possible, they started taking notes. Relief flooded Harry after the first five minutes of the lesson. He understood what they were doing. In fact, he had already learned the day's entire lesson. He was slightly concerned though. He wanted to learn more about what magic _was_, why it worked, and how it worked. It didn't seem like he would be finding out in this class.

The bell rang and Harry dashed out the door feeling both relieved and reluctant. He wanted to get away from that annoying Caroline who did nothing but stare at him during the entire class, but he also wanted to walk with Ginny. To compensate, he looked over his shoulder, caught her eye, and smiled before he turned the corner and lost sight of her completely. Ginny smiled back and Harry spent his next class, Arithmancy, with her face in his mind.

**oOoOo**

Harry wasn't in the Great Hall when it was time for lunch. Ginny sat dejectedly with Sarah and the boy she had been talking about last night. She thought his name was Kenny.

"Hi, Ginny!" Sarah greeted her when she sat down. "This is Keith, remember?" Apparently she hadn't been listening last night as well as she had thought.

"It's nice to meet you, Keith," she said, acknowledging him before piling her plate with food and then staring morosely into it.

"How was Herbology?" Sarah asked.

"Terrible, as usual," Ginny replied, not bothering to look up from her plate. Sarah, sensing her mood—she had always been good at that—turned back to Keith and let Ginny mope in peace. She ate a little as she thought.

Ginny knew she'd be questioned about her mood later, once they were alone. She wasn't looking forward to admitting how pathetic her thoughts were. But her spirits were lifted when she realized that Harry had said he had Defense with her, and that was her next class. She swallowed the food she was chewing and stood up, distractedly saying goodbye to Sarah and ignoring Keith completely.

Her feet carried her speedily and automatically through the halls, her mind not needing to think about the route. Instead, she employed her mind in hoping and wishing that she wasn't the first one there. There wasn't a need to specify who she wanted to be the first.

She rounded the corner and decided that she must not have wished properly. Maybe his name was needed during the whole wishing and hoping ritual, because he was not the first one there. Standing outside the Defense classroom was Michael Corner. She thought very seriously about quietly retreating to the nearest restroom to wallow in her disappointment until the bell for class rang. But then he looked up from the book he was reading and smiled brightly. She'd been seen, and now she couldn't leave. She smiled slightly and knew it looked fake, but Michael didn't seem to notice.

"Hey, Ginny!" he said enthusiastically.

"Hi, Michael," she said politely as she stood next to him by the door. He hurriedly put his book away in his bag and leaned up against the wall, turning his body towards her. She felt distinctly uncomfortable with such attention, and the fact that he took a step closer when he turned only added to her discomfort.

"How has your day been?" he asked.

"Oh, the usual…all the teachers want to scare us with long speeches about NEWTs. How are you doing?" She figured that, while he might annoy her to death, she had nothing better to do to pass the time until Harry—until class started.

"I'm great! Today was really awesome, especially when…," he said as he launched into a spiel about something. It was really hard for Ginny to listen to him. His voice had none of the entrancing qualities that Harry's had. Michael liked to monopolize the conversation, and while Ginny had only had a total of two real conversations with Harry, she knew that Harry could listen just as well as he could talk. Michael seemed to lack that specific ability. Ginny realized that she was comparing him to Harry and let out a frustrated sigh as she rolled her eyes at herself. She could not believe she couldn't even listen to someone when they were talking to her without thinking about Harry. It was just like the day she had met him all over again, jumping at noises and looking to see if it was Harry she had heard. Her sigh had alerted Michael though, and the change in his voice brought Ginny's attention back to him.

"That's exactly what I thought!" Michael exclaimed, obviously delighted by their apparent shared feelings on whatever subject he was monologuing about.

He started talking again and not two sentences later his voice abruptly stopped. Ginny felt someone beside her and looked over to find Harry standing to her side. If he took one step forward, he would be standing between her and Michael.

"Hey!" she said as way of a greeting. Harry turned his face slightly and smiled at her, before turning back to Michael. Ginny couldn't see what kind of expression he had on his face, but Michael didn't seem to take too well to it.

"I don't believe we've met before," Harry said. Ginny thought he sounded very polite, so she couldn't figure out why Michael was acting so strangely.

"I-I'm Michael Corner."

"It's nice to meet you, Michael. I'm Harry." Harry turned back to Ginny. He was smiling slightly and looked friendly enough—Ginny thought he looked perfect—so Michael's behavior confused her.

"I didn't see you at lunch today," Ginny said to Harry. She hoped she didn't sound like she was prying—or stalking for that matter.

"I went to the library to do some research." He didn't seem to mind her question.

"Really?" Ginny asked surprised. "Isn't it sort of early to start on homework?"

"Who said it was for an assignment? Maybe I just like to do research," he said jokingly, but something about it didn't sit right with Ginny. She wondered what he could be researching. Maybe he was just learning more about magic. That was why he came here after all.

The professor came and unlocked the door and Sarah showed up right behind him. Ginny realized with regret that she wouldn't get to sit with Harry in this class either. Sarah dragged her to a table in the middle of the classroom, and to her elation Harry came and sat down right behind them. Ginny wanted to introduce them to each other properly so she elbowed Sarah and turned around to face Harry.

"Harry, this is my best friend, Sarah. Sarah, this is Harry."

"It's very nice to meet you, Sarah," he said kindly, smiling at her. It took Sarah a moment to respond.

"Nice to meet you too."

Students started filtering in and the late bell rang. Ginny didn't think anybody had sat beside Harry, but she didn't want to turn around and look. The teacher launched into yet another lecture about NEWTs and Ginny saw Sarah scribbling furiously on a sheet of parchment. At first, Ginny was concerned because she thought that Sarah was actually taking notes on the speech. While Sarah might be concerned about her grades, Ginny thought that this was taking it a little too far. Ginny felt stupid, though, when Sarah subtly slid the parchment over to her. It read:

_How can you stand to sit near him? Let alone talk to him! I could barely get out "Nice to meet you." I wanted to stare at him, but I wanted to run away too…it was so weird. Please, tell me I'm not crazy. _

Ginny was confused by Sarah's admission. Why would she want to run away from him? She could understand the speech difficulties; she herself got tongue-tied every time she looked at his face, but run away? If anything, Ginny wanted to be nearer to him. She blushed slightly at the thought. She heard a chair scrape slightly along the floor behind her and reassembled her thoughts.

_He is very attractive…I've never wanted to run away from him before though._

That was a lie, and Ginny knew it. She remembered the very first time she saw him in the joke shop. She remembered the fear she felt grip her heart…the way he had looked. Dangerous. It was hard for her to think of him as dangerous now, after talking to him and getting to know him to be just a shy, slightly insecure boy who thirsted for knowledge.

She watched Sarah read the note and start to respond when the professor started the actual lesson. She hurriedly took out a fresh sheet of parchment and spent the rest of the class copying down the notes. Ginny took a few, but her paper had more doodles than words by the time the bell rang.

"I'll see you at dinner, all right?" Sarah said as she was packing up her bag.

"Yeah, of course."

"Bye," she said suggestively, glancing slyly at Harry and back to Ginny. Ginny glared at her until she was out the door.

"Can I walk you to Astronomy?" Harry asked her shyly as he came up beside her. Ginny smiled; her heart thumped erratically in her chest.

"Sure."

They walked in a comfortable silence. Ginny snuck glances at him as much as she could. Sometimes she felt his eyes on her, but every time she looked he was looking innocently ahead.

"Aren't you going to be late to your own class?" Ginny asked him once they started climbing the stairs that would lead up to the Astronomy tower. He smirked and laughed lightly.

"No."

"What's your next class?"

"Potions," he said.

"That's in the dungeons! You'll never make it there before the bell, and Snape already despises you because you're a Gryffindor. He'll hate you if you're late."

"Don't worry about me," he assured her. They reached the door to the classroom and stood there awkwardly, staring at each other. Ginny couldn't take her eyes off his. She hadn't noticed, but she thought they looked almost…gold. It must be the lighting.

"You're going to be late," she said finally.

"I should probably go," he said reluctantly and turned around and walked back down the stairs. Ginny watched his retreating form until he was out of sight and went into the classroom.

**oOoOo**

After the first day of classes, a routine of sorts was established. Harry would sit with Ginny during breakfast every morning, and then go to their first class with Sarah. If Ginny and he had Ancient Runes that day, then he would go to that with her. It was the only class in which he got to sit next to her. He couldn't decide whether it was a good or bad thing. During lunch he would go to the library to read and do research. He would meet Ginny outside the Defense classroom before class started so he could talk to her for a bit. Once that class was over, he would walk her either to the Astronomy tower or the Gryffindor common room, depending on the day. He would then attend his last class of the day, after which he would always find Ginny in the common room, hunched over her homework. He would sit with her under the pretense of working on his homework, too, but he never got much work done. Ginny didn't seem to mind his presence, and if she did, she never said anything. Before everyone started heading down to dinner, he would take his leave and head to the library to check out that night's books. On the weekends, Harry joined Ginny and Sarah—and whatever boy she was with at the time— to hang out, play games, complain about homework, or lounge around by the lake.

Every day was the same, and Harry was not used to the monotony of such a life. It was strangely comforting, though, to know exactly what he would be doing the next day. Ginny was the one aspect that changed. Harry spent a lot of his time watching her, listening to her, fascinated. It was easy to get to know her, and he discovered the more he found out, the more he wanted to know. It was like when he first found out about magic. He became almost obsessed with finding out everything he could about it. He tried not to pair the word obsessive with his actions concerning Ginny, but he was beginning to consider them true friends. They never actually talked about anything serious, but somehow he knew that he could trust her if that crucial conversation came to pass. Actually, Harry knew that if things continued the way they were going it would be "when" and not "if," but he was still wholly undecided. He knew he could trust her—that wasn't what he was worried about. It was her reaction. He hated to admit it, even if it was just to himself, but after knowing her for such a short amount of time—and even after having such problems with the acquaintance—there was no way he could ever be happy if she rejected him.

Harry smiled from his seat by the fireplace at Ginny who was walking down the girls' staircase. She always looked so beautiful.

"Good morning," he said, standing up to meet her.

"It is now that I've finally been able to sleep in a little," she laughed.

"Are you ready to go to breakfast?"

"Sure," she replied walking towards the portrait hole. "I bet we're really late."

"Not really. It's a Saturday so I'm sure most of the student body is still asleep."

"Well then, more food for us," she said as she walked past him and out of the portrait hole.

Harry didn't respond and tried to focus on something other than Ginny for a moment. He counted the tiles on the floor as they walked. After a bit he looked up and smiled at her. She started talking about an essay they had been assigned yesterday that she didn't understand and Harry tried to explain it to her. They arrived at the Great Hall and sat down, Ginny pulling her plate and cup of coffee towards her. They sat in silence for a minute or two before the morning mail was delivered. An owl dropped off Harry's Muggle newspaper that his parents sent him every day, and he read the front page. The headline read "More Disappearances." Other main articles focused on the high death toll. It saddened Harry that so many people were losing their lives, but he was more concerned about the disappearances. Over the past month he had noticed several things about them: the youngest that were taken were sixteen and the oldest was not over thirty, they disappeared in groups of no more than six, and they were all Muggles. There was something he just wasn't seeing. He knew it was the work of Voldemort, but he just could not understand why he was taking and—Harry assumed—killing Muggles. He'd been researching Dark rituals that involved humans, but he hadn't found anything that fit with the disappearances. He flipped through the rest of the paper, but looked up when he heard an unfamiliar owl flying towards him. It dropped the letter it was carrying and Harry caught it, recognizing the handwriting in which his name was written on the front. It was from Jane.

_Dear Harry,_

_I'm sorry that we haven't written much. This month has been so hectic. I hope you are having a lovely time at Hogwarts. It is very strange without you here. Tamah begs to go visit you every day. Roger loves the broom and sneaks out to ride it all the time. Adam hopes you are doing well and he says that you better be having some fun there, you deserve it. Aurora is actually the reason I'm writing. She told us that she's made some big decision and wants to tell us all together. I think Tamah knows, though, because she's been looking particularly cheerful the past two days. I'm worried about it. You don't think that Aurora's leaving us, do you? Do you think it has anything to do with that awful boy she's been seeing? Please, please come as soon as you can. There aren't any classes on Saturday, right? You don't need to reply to the letter unless you can't make it. We love you._

_Love,_

_Mom_

What big news did Aurora have? The question circled endlessly around Harry's mind, uninterrupted by answers. He needed to leave immediately.

**oOoOo**

Harry looked around at his family, who were all seated in the small living room. With all six of them in there, the room seemed even smaller than normal. His eyes moved over each one of them, trying to decipher what they were thinking. Adam and Jane seemed worried and Roger seemed a little anxious, but Tamah had a pleased expression on her face. Aurora was sitting next to Tamah and Harry thought she looked excited. Aurora looked at Adam and he gave a slight nod of his head. Everyone was ready for her to say why she had gathered them all there.

"I felt that it was necessary to at least explain myself before I go gallivanting off," she started. Harry stared at her, surprised. He had heard nothing of her leaving.

"... especially since I'll be able to contribute to the war effort that you two seem so involved in," she said, referring to Harry and Tamah.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked her. She was needed here. He couldn't see how her leaving would in any way help the war.

"I'm going to integrate with the society of those that follow Voldemort. If he can get that many followers of our kind, someone somewhere has got to know something. My goal is to get as close to them as possible. I, of course, will give you any information that I find out."

If she actually became a trusted part of the society, they would have access to information that they had never even dreamed of. She would be the best person for the job, too. She had been around the longest; she had the most experience. Her temperament and her boredom with life made her take risks that many others would not. Plus, she had a very deceitful personality and was able to get almost anything she wanted if she put her mind to it. If anyone could get close to the group, it was her, and she was actually going to try. Harry rejoiced at the thought. This was what he could bring to the Order. Aurora was not only going to help track Voldemort, she was going to be his "in" to the organization that would help defeat him.

"Aurora, you don't know how happy I am right now," said Harry.

She shrugged. "I do what I can," she said with an impish smile. Harry ran over and hugged her, but she quickly drew away. They would have to start planning immediately. The sooner she left, the closer they would be to the end of the war. They would need to devise a method of exchanging information. It was imperative that she was not caught—Harry didn't know what he would do if she was killed—and they could not use magical means of communication, especially owls. They would have to meet in person periodically.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jane asked her, concern evident in her voice.

"Yes, I'm positive," Aurora assured her.

"When are you leaving?" Adam asked her from his place beside Jane.

"Tonight."

**oOoOo**

It was mid-afternoon when Harry left his family after telling them everything about Hogwarts. He spent an inordinate amount of time talking about Ginny. His family didn't have any helpful advice for him, so he decided to make a last ditch effort. He quietly opened the door to Grimmauld Place. He walked silently to the kitchen to find Sirius sitting at the table alone, staring at his cup of tea.

"Why so blue?" Harry asked happily. Sirius leapt out of his seat and pulled out his wand, aiming it at Harry. Harry laughed loudly and asked, "What're you gonna do to me?" Sirius put his wand away, glaring at Harry.

"That wasn't funny," he said sulkily.

"You have to admit, it was pretty funny."

"Maybe from your end." Sirius glanced around for a moment. "Have a seat," he said, motioning towards the chair across from him. "Do you want some tea?"

Harry just looked at him.

"Oh yeah…never mind. So, what's up? Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

"It's a Saturday."

"Isn't it against the rules to leave the school whether it's a weekend or not?"

"You're one to give me advice about following the rules. But, if it'll make you happy, I'll go back right now," Harry said dramatically as he made a move to stand up.

"Now don't be hasty," Sirius said, laughing. "Since you're already out and all, they're not going to miss you terribly if you don't come back for a couple more minutes, right?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Good. So what brings you here?"

Now that he was actually here, Harry realized that perhaps this wasn't the best place to get advice.

"You have to promise to be serious about this," Harry told him authoritatively.

"What's it about?"

"A girl," Harry mumbled.

"Finally! You know I had my concerns about you…. Why I remember when I talked to Adam about it and he said—"

"Can we get back to the point please?"

"Sure, kid. What's the problem?"

So Harry told him, explaining a lot of the things Sirius didn't really understand. He hoped he wasn't freaking him out with such talk, but Sirius seemed to take it just as well as he did the first time.

"Well…," Sirius started and Harry couldn't see anything helpful coming out of this comment. "I would say hormones, but…" Nope, not helpful.

"What should I _do_ though?"

"Well, if we go with the hormone train of thought, I can give you a few pointers."

"Sirius! This is not some joke. It's her life! And that's the problem," Harry started, thinking out loud. "I should have waited. I was too rash. And what have I gained? But I've lost so much…. Now I don't even know if it was worth it. Do you think it was worth it?" he finally ended, directing the question at Sirius.

"Only you can answer that," he replied, all traces of humor gone.

"Sometimes I think it is, when I'm around my family," Harry said softly, staring at the table. "But then I smell her and I wonder how I could have done this to myself."

"You did what was best for you at the time," he said consolingly.

"But now look where it's gotten me. I thought I had thought it through. I spent years and years going over it in my head. I knew what I was getting into. But I hadn't met her yet. If only I had, I never would have gone through with it. Now…now I'm not sure that she can even…if I can…I've screwed everything up, haven't I?"

"I think," Sirius said after a pause. "I think that you have to make the best of what you have now. You can't go back, so why bother wasting time thinking about what you should have done?"

Harry sat unmoving. His eyes had not lifted from the table.

"But what am I supposed to do now? What if I can't con— Should I end the friendship? Should I stay away from her?" Harry asked desperately.

"I think the more important question is…_can_ you?"

**oOoOo**

Ginny was bored. Harry had left right after breakfast telling her he'd see her later that night. She wasn't sure what later meant, but it was after dinner and he was still nowhere to be found. And Sarah was with Owen, as she had been every night since they started dating. Ginny was concerned about what Sarah was getting herself into. It had been two weeks already. Sarah's boyfriends usually didn't last this long, and Ginny didn't particularly like Owen—not that she liked any of the other ones either. After stretching, Ginny got up off her bed and walked over to her trunk. She rummaged around in it for a minute and then pulled out an old piece of parchment. She got back into her bed and then closed the curtains. She lit her wand and opened the paper up.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," she whispered at the parchment. She watched in satisfaction as the lines started to dance and weave across the page.

When she could find nothing better to do, she liked to watch the people in the school. Her twin brothers had given her the map after their final year, telling her to use it to cause mischief and mayhem…and only that. They had said they didn't want to hear of her sneaking around the castle with no good boys just because she had the map. She had told them that if she had the map there would be no way of word reaching them that she was doing such a thing as she wouldn't get caught. They hadn't seemed too pleased with the thought, but told her the password anyway.

Ginny watched as the professors walked along the hallways. It was almost curfew, so there were still a few students scrambling to get back to their common rooms. She flipped part of the paper and watched the first floor. Right before she was going to turn to the second floor, she saw a dot suddenly appear on the grounds of the school. Her eyes widened as she watched the small dot labeled "Harry Potter" fly across the paper towards the doors of the school. The dot slowed down and walked like all the other dots as soon as it was through the front doors. Ginny pulled the map closer to her and watched as Harry Potter walked up the stairs all the way to the seventh floor where the dot then turned and walked into the Gryffindor common room. Ginny was in a frenzy. She quickly erased the map with a hurried "Mischief managed" and threw it in her trunk. She flew down the stairs, stopping in the shadows to peer into the common room. She saw Harry coming towards her and she smiled. Then her heart sped up as her conscious mind finally made the connection. Harry Stewart was Harry Potter.

"Are you going to come down, Ginny? Or just stand there all night?" he asked her once he was next to the girls' staircase.

Ginny couldn't speak and descended slowly.

"What's wrong?" he asked her suddenly concerned.

Taking liberties that she never had before, she reached her hand up and brushed the fringe of his hair back off his forehead. His skin was ice cold and he became so still that it seemed he wasn't breathing. But Ginny didn't pay any attention to that. There on his forehead was a thin, pale, lightning bolt scar. It was so similar to his skin though that it blended right in and wouldn't have been noticed by anyone not looking for it. She let out a breath that she didn't know she'd been holding and Harry took a giant step back, her arm falling limply to her side.

"You…," she tried to say. Harry was standing completely still almost three feet away from her and was looking determinedly at the ground. He didn't look up when she spoke.

"You're Harry Potter," she finally whispered.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Proving Worth**

Ginny sat in the abandoned classroom that Harry had silently dragged her to. She was positioned on one of the desks facing Harry, who was standing by the closed door. He had been standing there for five minutes without moving, still as a statue. Ginny stared stubbornly back, waiting for him to confirm his true identity.

"You're the first one to figure it out," he said finally. He sounded…normal, like he usually did when they were talking. Ginny was slightly surprised. She had thought by his behavior he would be angry or defensive or…something besides this. "How did you know?" he asked her.

"I have a magical map of the school," she told him. "It shows where people are." He looked at her interestedly.

"A map? How does it work?"

"I don't know. I didn't make it. My brothers gave it to me, but they didn't make it either. It was made by um…Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," she listed off in quick succession. Harry just stared at her.

"What?" she asked him.

"You have _the _map. The Marauder's Map," he said as he crossed the room and sat on the desk beside her. She felt her stomach flutter at his proximity.

"Yeah, that's what it's called. But…how did you know about it? Fred and George said they'd found it in Filch's cabinet."

"My godfather is Padfoot. He told me about it a while ago, but he also said it was confiscated during his seventh year here."

"That is so cool! Do you know who the other people are?" Ginny realized at this point that they were getting off topic, but that always seemed to happen during their conversations. They would start talking about one thing, go off on a tangent, and then—if they remembered—would come back to the earlier topic.

"My…father was Prongs. While they were at Hogwarts they formed a group called the Marauders and would go around pranking people. They were very similar to Fred and George."

"In that case, I feel very sorry for their classmates. I can just imagine the horribly embarrassing situations they must have been forced into if the Marauders were anything like my brothers."

Harry laughed. "You should hear the stories Sirius has. They would put your brothers' tales to shame."

"Sirius is your godfather?"

"Yep. I hope you can meet him sometime. He's great."

"Is that who you were with today?" She caught the slight look of apprehension on his face before he could compose himself.

"Yes," he answered simply.

Now that they had officially avoided the main reason for the conversation, Ginny wanted to get back to the point. She wanted to bombard him with questions, but was not sure how he would take them. She studied his demeanor, trying to determine what kind of a mood he was in. His eyes were dark and staring back. She could have sworn they had been lighter the other day. His presence made her crazy, which wasn't that surprising. Nothing about the way he was sitting made her think he was in any way upset, however. When he was angry about something, he always had this straight, statue-like stance about him. That's why she had thought he was angry when they had first arrived in the classroom. But he was sitting at the desk, relaxed, and Ginny decided that she might as well ask.

"So, you're Harry Potter." Ginny grimaced at her bluntness and the abrupt and obvious change of subject, but she knew she had no tact in these types of situations, so she didn't even try. Harry didn't seem to mind though.

"I was." That was enough to throw her off.

"What?"

"I used to be Harry Potter. I'm a Stewart now. I have been for ten years."

"Then why did it say Potter on the map?" That wasn't the question she wanted to ask, but somehow it came out before all the others.

"Hasn't it always said Potter?" Harry sounded confused.

"No. Usually it says Stewart." Harry looked over Ginny's shoulder to the windows.

"I'll have to ask Sirius," he said after a moment. "He knows everything about the map."

"Is his last name Stewart?" Harry looked uncomfortable at that question. His shoulders slumped fractionally and he wouldn't look at her when he answered. Ginny was beginning to be able to decipher his behavior, and it certainly helped when they had conversations like this.

"No."

"Then what—"

Harry cut her off. "Stewart is the name of the family that adopted me." Ginny had never heard him talk about his family before. He always asked her tons of questions about hers, but whenever she asked about his he always changed the subject. She guessed he realized how eager she was to hear about his family, because he took a deep breath and started talking.

"After my parents were murdered, I was sent to live with my mother's sister, Petunia Dursley, and her husband, Vernon. They have a child about my age named Dudley. When I was eight years old, Petunia took Dudley to London because he wanted to go to some new, huge toy store that was opening. She couldn't find a babysitter for me, so I was taken along. That was when I ran away. I didn't get very far until I was completely lost. I was prepared to do what I had to though, to stay away from those people."

"Why?" Ginny asked astonished.

"They weren't very nice people," he said softly, picking at the hem on his shirt sleeve. "They treated me like dirt, like a parasite. I was ever only a burden to them, and they made sure I knew it."

"How horrible," was all Ginny could say.

"So I escaped. But I was eight, and I really hadn't thought it out that well. Luckily, as I was wandering the streets, a woman came up to me and asked me if I was lost. We started talking, and she got me to tell her that I ran away because of my aunt and uncle. My aunt's name slipped out during our conversation, and she eventually got me to tell her where my aunt was. She took me back to the toy store and to my aunt. But then, a week later, she showed up at the Dursleys' house and had them sign some papers. Then, she took me away to live with her. It was the best day of my childhood."

"And you live with her now?"

"She's my mum. Her name's Jane. And my dad's is Adam. You've already met Tamah and Aurora. And I think you've seen Roger too, but I haven't introduced you to him. And that's my family," he ended with a shrug. She could tell he loved them all just by the way his voice sounded when he talked about them. Ginny smiled, strangely happy that he had found such a caring family.

"I'm glad they found you," she said leaning forward a bit to place her hand on his. It was cold and he drew it back immediately after contact. Ginny quickly withdrew her hand when she saw his shoulders and back straighten up and his face become impassive. She looked down at the desk, hoping he wasn't angry at her.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. Ginny didn't look up.

"I guess your family's all Muggles?" she asked. If there was one thing she could do, it was repress unpleasant things and ignore everything else.

"Sadly, I'm the only one out of us that can do magic."

"Are they happy you can?"

"Definitely. Although they wish they could too."

"It must have been a big surprise when you found out." Ginny looked up. "How did you? Find out about magic, I mean."

Harry was watching her, and he smiled when he answered.

"That's another story for another night. It's getting late, and you need to get some sleep."

"It's a Saturday," she complained.

"Exactly. Weekends were invented so people could catch up on sleep," he said as he started walking towards the door. Ginny sighed and followed him out. She knew he'd tell her later.

**oOoOo**

Ginny was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind tumbling with thoughts about what he had told her tonight. Harry _Potter_. It seemed surreal to her that he was here, in the school. The-Boy-Who-Lived. The name didn't really fit the person. It was a bit disconcerting that the boy from the stories her parents had told her as a child was the same one that she had been talking to, studying with, and joking with, for the past month. The two pictures didn't fit, and she found she liked the one of Harry Stewart infinitely more—perhaps more than she should. She shook her head as if it would help clear those thoughts out. It didn't, and she was left dizzy and faced with the knowledge that she probably liked him much more than he would ever care for her. Everything he did just made her like him more. What wasn't to like? He was intelligent, considerate, funny, absolutely gorgeous…and extremely selfless. She found his shyness endearing, and there was just something about when they were together…. They could sit in silence forever without it being awkward. Sometimes there was just no need for words. She liked that she could share that with him. She remembered one night they had sat in the common room on the couch and watched the fire slowly die. It was so comforting to have him there, next to her. She sighed a little at the thought. How ironic was it that she was lying here, dreaming about Harry, when she had done the same thing as a child? It was difficult to think of him as Harry Potter, though, and she tried not to. He seemed to like himself just fine as Harry Stewart, and that was how Ginny was going to think of him.

Suddenly, her bed curtains were pulled open. A figure jumped into her bed and shut the curtains quickly.

"Where have you been?" Sarah whispered as she crawled over to sit beside Ginny. Ginny sat up sleepily and cast a Silencing Charm on the curtains. It may be late, but that didn't mean that her roommates weren't still awake. Sarah was proof of that.

"I was with Harry," she told her, unable to keep the bliss out of her voice.

"Do tell." Ginny gave her a "you're hopeless" look, but started talking easily enough.

"He told me about his parents, and his godfather. And I've already told you I've met his sisters, right? He mentioned he had a brother, too. It's the first I've really heard about his family."

"Yeah…I remember you saying he had siblings." Ginny thought Sarah sounded a little distracted. "So," she asked suddenly after a short pause, "are these late night outings becoming more frequent?"

"We do not go on late night outings."

"Not the kind that _you_ want, but you do go. Remember the time he snuck you out to the lake in the middle of the night? I think that counts."

"He just wanted company while he went and sat by the lake."

"You're just disappointed all you did was talk."

Ginny rolled over on to her side and threw the covers over her head.

"I don't want to talk about it," she replied miserably.

"Fine, fine. So I've decided that Owen's really boring," Sarah said, changing the subject. Ginny was grateful for the distraction and happy that Sarah seemed to have broken it off with Owen.

"They all end up boring to you," Ginny pointed out from under the covers.

"Well, I met his friend, Josh, and he doesn't seem boring at all. In fact, he asked me to the Hogsmeade trip that's coming up."

"You mean Joshua Clemmens? Sarah, I haven't said much about all the different guys you go out with, but please…don't go out with him."

"You always say something about my boyfriends. In fact, I'm pretty sure that you haven't made one nice comment about any of them," Sarah stated. "Not that I really care that much, but you never pass up the opportunity to make fun of them."

"That's because they're all wrong for you," Ginny said with certainty, pushing the covers off of her and sitting back up.

"Have you found someone who's right for me?"

"Well, no…but—"

"I'm not going to find the right one until I try out some wrong ones. And Josh is the next one I'm trying out."

"You sound like you're shoe shopping," Ginny told her derisively.

"Oh, that's good! Shoe shopping."

"I was trying to insult you."

"Eh," Sarah replied, waving her hand in an inconsequential manner. "So you've made me curious, why don't you like Josh?"

"He flirts with every girl he comes within three feet of, even if they have a boyfriend—even if he has a girlfriend."

"Maybe I'll be the one to change all that."

"Haven't you realized it yet? I hate to break it to you, but they don't change. People's personalities are pretty much formed by age five."

"Maybe he's fine the way he is."

Ginny yawned, and gave up. "I'm tired of fighting. I wanna go to sleep."

"Okay, but he'll be sitting with us tomorrow during lunch. Try and be nice?"

"Sure, why not."

"Goodnight, Ginny."

"Night," she said back, turning on her side. She watched as Sarah slipped between the curtains.

She closed her eyes and started to drift off to sleep. It was so easy to find flaws in Sarah's boyfriends. Ginny was perhaps a little too good at it. It made her feel better to know that she liked Harry just the way he was.

But he didn't like her as much. She knew she was spending way too much time with him; it seemed she was always with him. And all of this time was not good for her emotional health. She needed to spend less time with him, and the only way she could think to do that was to spend more time doing something else. A jumble of different things flew into her mind, and she rejected almost all of them at once. Sarah was preoccupied too much of the time to be of any use. It was difficult for Ginny to make new friends to the point that she could spend much time with them. She was not going to date Michael Corner, and her mind rejected all thoughts of shutting out Harry completely. She wanted him in her life, and that was the problem. If she was brutally honest with herself, he meant a lot more to her than anyone ever had, but she tried not to think about that aspect too often. It hurt to know that he would never feel that way about her. With him being that way he was, how could he? He didn't need her, and he certainly didn't seem to want her the way she wanted him.

She finally settled on throwing herself into her schoolwork.

**oOoOo**

The next week was so similar to the others that Harry was left flabbergasted at the way Ginny completely ignored the fact that he was indeed Harry Potter. He liked having one less secret between them, especially if this was how she was going to take them. She apparently hadn't told anybody, because everyone still called him Stewart and there were no crazy people fawning over him. She was still wonderful. He smiled; thoughts of Ginny always made him smile.

But Ginny herself was getting rather stressed, seemingly at the amount of work being pressed upon the seventh years. Harry noticed that more and more of their time was spent in the common room doing homework instead of walking the grounds or playing games. She was beginning to need more and more cups of coffee in the morning and Harry had no idea how to help her. He had tried to talk with her about it, but it was to no avail.

"Ginny?" he said one night as she was heading up the stairs for bed. It was late, but there was still a small scattering of fifth and seventh years in the common room. It was earlier than she had been going to bed lately.

"Yes, Harry?" she said, pausing on the first step of the girls' staircase. He walked over to her, mindful of the other occupants of the room.

"I'm worried about you," he told her softly.

"Why?"

"You're pushing yourself too hard. You spend all your time doing schoolwork and you haven't just sat down and relaxed in a week."

Ginny looked distinctly uncomfortable at Harry's accusation and wrung her fingers together.

"I—I need to do well on my NEWTs," she said after a moment. "If I don't do well, then what kind of a job would I get? Probably not a very good one."

"Since when were you that worried about your future?"

"I…just…realized one day. That I should be worried, I mean."

Harry had gotten pretty good at reading Ginny over the past month or so, and he knew that she was lying. He didn't know exactly how he knew it, but she was. And why would she be lying about this?

"I still think that you need to take a break."

Ginny nodded. "Goodnight, Harry," she said sadly, ending the conversation and hurrying up the stairs. Harry wanted so much at that point to run up the stairs and hold her, to tell her what she needed to hear, but he didn't know what to say and knew he wouldn't let himself even if he did.

**oOoOo**

The sky, already filled with clouds, was becoming darker by the minute. The Gryffindor Quidditch team, however, was still out practicing. It wasn't until dinner time that the captain finally called the drilling to a halt and they all marched inside. All but one. Harry watched as Ginny climbed the stairs to the stands where he sat. It was the third practice that the team had had, and he had gone to every one.

Ever since the practices had started, the dark circles under her eyes seemed to become lighter. Harry liked the small change and was thankful that they had Quidditch, if only for the small relief it brought Ginny.

He loved to watch her fly. She was a natural, and it was obvious that she loved to be up in the air. It made him happy to see her so happy, and he didn't even try to deny why—to himself at least.

"Do you want to fly?" Ginny asked after she reached him, holding her broom out.

"Yes," he said, pulling his broom out from under the bench. "I brought mine, actually. I thought maybe we could fly together."

Ginny eyed the broom warily and then blushed slightly. Her smile was impish though, when she said, "On one broom?"

Harry closed his eyes and grimaced at the idea of her on the broom with him. "No," he hastily amended. He watched as her face fell slightly, and then looked at the ground. "I just thought we could fly around the Quidditch pitch. You know…me on mine and you on yours."

"Okay," Ginny said, but her voice had an odd quality to it and Harry tried not to look at her face as he mounted his broom.

"Come on!" he called, trying to be upbeat. He sped off to one side of the pitch and watched as Ginny followed after a moment.

Their confusion and embarrassment was left behind as the world fell away among loops and shallow dives. They raced each other around the pitch and had a short game of tag which ended with Harry catching her quickly because of the superiority of his broom. Harry enjoyed the freedom he had in the air, and the joy that it could be spent in the company of Ginny.

After a while they landed, and Ginny declared herself starving, so they headed inside to the castle. Dinner was long over, however, and after dropping off their brooms in the tower and letting Ginny change, Harry led her to the kitchens.

"What can we be getting you?" one of the house elves asked immediately after they walked in. He looked at Harry and took a small step back, looking confused as to why he did such a thing. Harry wasn't confused, though, and hoped Ginny hadn't noticed.

"Um…Harry, do you want anything?" she asked even though by her tone it seemed she already knew the answer. Harry wondered what she thought about his obvious lack of appetite.

"No, thank you."

"I guess I'll just have whatever they had for dinner, if that's easiest," she told the house elf kindly.

"Of course, Miss."

Harry took her to the replica of the Gryffindor table that was at the moment empty, and sat down. Ginny took a seat across from him, and before they had a chance to say anything, the food Ginny had asked for was placed in front of her by four different elves. She thanked them, and they bowed and left.

"You're really good at flying. I don't think I've ever told you that before," Harry commented as Ginny chewed.

"Thank you, but I'm not as good as you are."

"I think you're much better than I am."

"You beat me every time we raced."

"That's just because my broom is newer than yours, that's all. I'm sure you'd win if you were on a Firebolt, too."

"It is a wonderful broom, isn't it?"

"The best."

"Do you think that I could ride it some time?"

"Definitely. If you want, you can use it to play Quidditch. If you'd like…I mean. You don't have to."

"No. I couldn't do that. It's your broom. I just want to test it out. I mean, it's like a legend. All the professionals ride Firebolts."

"Do they?"

"You don't follow professional Quidditch?"

"No, not really. I guess I never thought to. What's your favorite team?"

"Oh, I follow…."

And she told Harry all about her favorite Quidditch team before moving on to her brothers' teams. Shortly after that, she had given him a general overview of all of the teams that were competing for the Cup this season. Harry listened intently, remembering names and positions and stats. It must run in the family, he thought, because when she explained about her brother, he seemed even more fanatical about Quidditch than she was.

"It's kind of all up in the air at the moment, but I'm hoping they'll win the Cup. It'll take some hard work, but honestly…who does Ron think he's kidding? Why he bet against me, I'll never know. The Cannons are not going to win. At least I'll be five galleons richer by the time the Cup rolls around."

She ended there, and Harry subconsciously leaned toward her over the table, wanting her to go on. When she didn't, he ran through questions in his mind that he could ask to keep her talking, but she was looking at him, and she seemed a lot closer than he last remembered her being. His brain was functioning, and then it wasn't. She was still looking at him, and nothing could compare to the sight of her face, especially when it was this close to his. He could smell her—a sweet, flowery scent that made him finally close his eyes and lean back from her. He heard her exhale softly and when he opened his eyes he stared down at the table. It was probably best that they left now.

"It's getting late," he hinted. Ginny was looking at him again, but instead of the look he expected, it was total exasperation, as if she was finally fed up with him and his strange behavior. His eyes widened imperceptibly and he wished and hoped that that wasn't it. But she stood up and started walking out of the kitchens without a backwards glance. Maybe she knew he would follow her…anywhere.

The walk was made in silence. It wasn't past curfew yet, and they passed several other students on the way back. One of the larger groups was gathered around the bottom of the stairs, discussing the Hogsmeade trip tomorrow, and that gave Harry an idea.

It was stupid, to be sure, and it was definitely reckless. And Harry was risking humiliation if she turned him down, but something told him she wouldn't. Wouldn't it be wonderful? To spend an entire day with her…virtually alone.

Alone.

He argued with himself for the rest of the trek. The Fat Lady opened the portrait for them after Ginny said the password, but Harry gently grabbed her arm before she could walk in. He immediately let go of it once she had stopped, trying to make his mind ignore how warm her arm was, or how soft her skin felt…or how her heart sped up.

She turned to face him, and the little voice that had told him before that she would say yes had now changed its mind and decided to throw out dire warnings that replayed over and over in his mind.

"Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?"

Ginny smiled and said, "Yes, I'd like that very much. I'll meet you down here for breakfast?"

"Of course."

"Goodnight, Harry," she said with feeling. Her earlier frustration seemed to have vanished.

"Night, Gin."

Ginny walked through the portrait hole into the common room and up the stairs. Harry was left staring after her retreating form, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

**oOoOo**

After he thought about Ginny and tomorrow's plans as much as sanity would allow, Harry sat down and started reading through a book on advanced Arithmancy that he had stumbled upon in the library earlier that day. He was nearing the end of the book when he heard a soft tapping on the window. Silently, he opened the glass and an owl flew in, bearing a letter with his name on it. He took it and thanked the owl, who immediately hopped to the window and took off into the dark night. He unfurled the parchment and read:

_Harry—_

_ We need to meet. Tonight._

It was not signed, but he knew by the handwriting who had sent it. Slightly nervous and very eager, he threw the note in the fireplace and watched as it blackened and curled into itself. He then quickly exited the portrait hole, almost flying down the halls and out the front door onto the grounds. As soon as he was outside, he turned and went towards the forest, going deep where the trees grew close together and the sky was completely obscured by the branches and dying leaves. He hurried to the spot that they had decided on, and was relieved to find Aurora safe.

"Harry!" she exclaimed once he came into her sight.

"Are you okay? Did anything happen?" he questioned immediately.

"I'm fine, everything's fine. Well, that's not true…but I think I should start at the beginning."

Harry nodded and they sat down on the forest floor.

"So, what happened?" he asked softly.

She smiled slightly and drew herself up a bit. Harry knew she enjoyed telling stories. She closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them.

"After I left home, I didn't really know where to start looking. So, I wandered around for about a week, checking out caves and sewers and really wherever I remember living in the past. It was a week after I had started looking that I found one. His name is Leonard, but he told me to call him Leo. I stayed with him for a couple of days and he told me about a couple that came around frequently, Joseph and Eva. They're on speaking terms, I guess you could say, and they told him enough that he had guessed they had something to do with all of the bad things that are happening. I felt so lucky that I had stumbled upon him. But two weeks passed and they didn't show up, so I left. Leo said that there were some others in the forest that he used to stay in. It was a while away, next to some town called Hangleton, so that's where I went. And I found them, including Joseph and Eva. It was good at first, but then there was this slight complication with Eva."

Something about her tone bothered Harry. The way she said Eva's name….

"You didn't!" Harry gasped as comprehension dawned on his face.

"She was very young and was looking for a fight. I just gave her what she was asking for," Aurora said in a matter of fact tone. Harry wished she would at least try to appear regretful for killing someone.

"But I'm sure she was harmless! She posed no threat to you. You didn't have to outright kill her," Harry argued.

"Ah, you'll think differently once you hear what I know." She paused for dramatic effect.

"Well, go on," Harry instructed her impatiently. She smirked at him and launched back into her story.

"Does the name 'Joseph' not mean anything to you?"

Harry shook his head, knowing he had never met a Joseph.

"How about Alexander or Olivia?"

Those names he had heard. Voldemort had said them when he was talking to….

"You found them," Harry whispered, astonished.

"I found them," Aurora said, smiling wildly at his reaction. "And… Joseph is letting me stay with him."

"Really?" Harry asked, disbelief obvious in his voice. "Even after you killed Eva?"

"He didn't really care about her. Voldemort had instructed him to look after her, teach her how to fight and stuff. He also said she was replaceable. I'm not quite sure what he meant, but…" She trailed off unconcernedly with a shrug of her shoulders.

"So you're really in?" Harry asked, still skeptical.

"Did you doubt I could do it?"

"It's just…so soon. I thought it'd take months."

"Well, to be honest, so did I. But here I am, barely a month afterwards, with information to share."

Harry sat up straight and leaned in. "You got him to tell you about Voldemort's plans already?"

"No, not really. But, I heard a couple of them near us complaining about how they weren't allowed to participate in the attack that's planned—"

"You met with others, too?"

"No, they don't know I'm there. They were walking through the woods and went by us. Anyway, Voldemort had told them not to participate and they couldn't figure out why. The attack's planned for Diagon Alley tomorrow. They're targeting someone in particular, but all I know is that it's a 'him.'"

"Death Eaters?"

"Most likely."

"Do you know what time?"

"They didn't say."

Harry was elated that he had information that could possibly get him into the Order, but that happiness was slightly marred by the reluctance he felt at having to tell Dumbledore. He could probably get away with just telling him about the planned attack on Diagon Alley this time, but what would happen in the future, when Voldemort did let Joseph and the others participate in an attack? How would he explain that? It would be best for the war to inform Dumbledore beforehand so he wouldn't needlessly send out Order members just to have them all killed. Harry was not looking forward to the morning.

"Harry?" Aurora had been saying goodbye.

"Oh, sorry," he apologized. "Do you have to leave so soon?"

"Yes, I do. I'm going to stop by the house tomorrow, so I'll see you then if you can make it. But before I leave, how's Ginny?"

"Wonderful. Just tonight, she found out I was actually Harry Potter and she…everything's still great."

"She didn't faint or anything?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "No, of course not."

"I just hope her reaction's that good when you finally tell her."

Harry looked taken aback at the sudden change of topic. "Why do you think I'm going to tell her?"

"Oh, _I_ don't know if you will, but Tamah seems convinced that it'll come out sooner or later. Plus, how are you going to marry her if she doesn't know?"

"Marry her?! What are you talking about?"

"Tamah seems convinced on that point too."

"I've known her for two months!"

"Yeah, well, that's what I said. You know Tamah though. I think it's her eight-year-old side talking, personally, but she swears by it."

"We'll see about that," Harry said with a huff. "There is no way she is finding out if I can help it. She'll never come near me again."

"You don't know that, Harry," Aurora said kindly. Harry looked up. It was strange to hear such a comforting tone from her.

"I should go," she said, suddenly brisk. "I told Joseph I wouldn't be gone long. I hope your plan works, Harry." And then she was gone.

Harry sat in the dirt, thinking not of the attack that was going to take place some time that day, but of Ginny, and how perfectly she had taken the knowledge that he was Harry Potter. He tried to make himself believe that she would be that accepting if he ever did tell her the truth, but all his mind could do was play scenes that caused him immeasurable amounts of pain. Scenes that had her leaving.

The birds started chirping, and Harry stood up and dusted his pants off. There was still some dirt left on them, so he performed a quick cleaning charm. After standing there with his eyes closed while he listened to the birds chirp, he made his way back to the castle, the weight of what he was about to do making him much slower than usual.

**oOoOo**

Harry could not believe he was doing this. There had to be another way; he just couldn't think of it, that was all. He stared at the gargoyle outside of the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Perhaps it would be better to wait until after breakfast. But the attack could happen before then. It had to be done now. Dumbledore had to know. And in Dumbledore knowing, Harry would most assuredly be inducted into the Order. Unless, of course, Dumbledore threw him out of the school…or worse. Maybe coming here without a backup plan wasn't such a good idea.

_If worse comes to worse,_ Harry thought, _I could take him. He only defeated Grindelwald after all_.

That line of thinking was not helping Harry's feet to move any farther. Dumbledore was known for being accepting, and Harry held on to that thought as he said the password and walked slowly up the stairs. He raised his hand up to knock on the door to the office and couldn't help but feel that he was walking to his doom. It was going to be a long morning.

"Come in," Dumbledore called after Harry had knocked on the door.

"Good morning, sir," Harry said.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Stewart?" he asked kindly, gesturing to a seat in front of him. Harry sat down and forced himself to breathe.

"When we met over the summer, I expressed interest in joining the Order's war effort."

Dumbledore nodded at his recollection and Harry continued.

"You said that if I proved myself necessary to the group, you would consider letting me join."

"Am I to assume you are here to prove yourself necessary?"

"Yes, sir. But before I do, I need your complete assurance that what is said in this room today will not be disclosed to anyone for any reason."

Dumbledore looked at him curiously and considered the request. "All right, on one condition: if I feel the need to tell someone else this information, we will be able to discuss it."

"That sounds reasonable. You can tell only with my explicit consent."

Dumbledore nodded his agreement. "What is this information that's so valuable?"

Harry paused, taking one last moment to reflect if this really was the best thing to be doing. He took a deep breath and spurted it out before he could change his mind. "There is an entirely different world out there, one that is unknown but to very few. Muggles only know of it in horror stories, and Wizards have had misconceived notions of it for so long that fiction has become fact."

"What world is this?" Dumbledore asked, leaning forward.

"That of the vampires."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I also don't own Twilight (which is what the vampires in this story are based off of).

**Chapter 4: Gathering Forces**

Dumbledore didn't look as surprised as Harry thought he should. "I have heard rumors before, but there was never any evidence to corroborate what I've been told."

"What kind of rumors?" Harry asked warily.

"Some spoke of immortality, others of immeasurable strength. No one had actually met a vampire like that, however—well, no one that survived. I haven't read a book yet that mentioned the qualities that the rumors told of."

"How common are these rumors?" Harry pressed, already worried for his family's identity in London. He didn't want some random person who had heard of these rumors to see them—they tended to stick out in a crowd when they were all together—and point out what they were.

"Perhaps I shouldn't call them rumors. It was more like a passage of information. I've only talked to three people who have talked about vampires not actually being like those we know about. One of them actually went in search of them. He disappeared thirty years ago and hasn't been seen since. Another died of old age some time ago," Dumbledore told him.

"And the third?"

"He's more concerned about other things at the moment to be chasing after fantastical creatures that may or may not exist. He's not like the other two were. He stumbled upon vampires by accident and to this day isn't sure exactly what he saw."

Harry just looked at him, calculating in his head his chances of getting the name of the third person out of Dumbledore. From where he sat, it didn't look very good.

"Were they right?" Dumbledore asked after a moment.

"Partially," Harry allowed.

"How so?"

"Their information is incomplete." Harry looked up at Dumbledore's face and tried to decide how much to tell him. "Vampires…they are strong, but they are not completely immortal. It is true that they do not die from age. This is because…well, they don't age. The only way for a vampire to die is if he is killed."

"So you're telling me there are in fact vampires out there with these characteristics?"

"Sir, these are the _only_ type of vampires out there. I said before, the descriptions in the books, what everyone knows them to be, is false. Wrong. I don't know how it started, but all the facts and figures that are taught about vampires are fabricated. What I'm telling you now is what vampires really are."

"How do people not know, then?" Dumbledore mused to himself.

"They stay hidden. If people see them, they are—almost as a rule—killed immediately. No one knows of their existence because no one survives to tell anyone."

"What else do you know about them?"

Harry shrugged. "What would you like to know?"

"They do feed on human blood, correct?" Dumbledore's tone was of revulsion but curious, as if he didn't want to think about it but still wanted to know the answer.

"Most do, yes."

"What about the rest?"

"They refrain from doing so."

"What happens to them?" Dumbledore asked, his tone only tinged with curiosity instead of disgust.

"They drink animal blood instead."

"Really? Do a lot of vampires do that?"

"No," Harry told him sorrowfully.

"Why not?"

"Drinking animal blood does not…quench the thirst that they feel. It helps, and with practice and self-restraint vampires can live a relatively normal life."

"How do you know all of this?"

Harry knew that this was the pivotal point in the conversation. He prepared himself mentally to flee if necessary. He could probably make it out the door and down the stairs before Dumbledore realized, but what if he had his wand already out and ready? Then he might make it, but it wasn't a sure thing. The window though…it had potential. He would have to cross by Dumbledore, but it was a shorter distance and he wouldn't be in his line of sight for as long as he would if he went through the door. It's not like Dumbledore would see him once he started to move, but he wanted to plan for the worst case scenario. The window it was then. He could make it for sure, whether Dumbledore had his wand ready to incapacitate him or not. Harry just hoped that no one saw him jump from that high up. If he hit the ground running he didn't think that they would be able to see him. He liked his plan and decided to answer honestly and see where it took him.

"My family…they're all vampires." His voice was still reluctant.

"And yourself?" It sounded as if Dumbledore already knew the answer, which, Harry admitted, he had probably figured out as soon as the word "vampire" came out of his mouth.

"Yes." Harry grimaced slightly and waited for the slight movement that would indicate Dumbledore's attack.

"How?" he asked simply. Harry was relieved and yet, unsurprised.

"When I turned seventeen I was finally able to convince them to turn me."

"How did they do that?"

"I'd rather not get into the particulars."

Dumbledore changed his questioning quickly. "So you're able to live like a human. How does that work?" Harry wondered if he had some sort of mental list that he was just firing his questions off from.

"We have jobs, go to school, have a house…normal human things. It was very, very difficult for them to be around humans for a long time, but they're old and have learned to live among people. My family has told me that I adjusted the easiest to the life, that I had the most self control. That could be because I'm the only one out of all of them that has never tasted human blood. I think it's because they were all there to support me and keep me in line."

Dumbledore shot off another question, "If you lived with vampires, how were you able to learn so much about magic?"

"After the drunk wizard told me about Diagon Alley, I bought as many books as I could. After I was turned, I spent all of my time reading about magic. It was what kept me from really concentrating on the raw instincts that I felt."

"So it took you a year to learn seven years worth of material?"

"No…actually it was less than that," Harry said reluctantly. He really didn't want to get into this aspect of their capabilities, but maybe it would be better. It would certainly explain a lot.

"Our minds, you see, are…more complex than that of a human's. It retains everything, even memories. It learns exponentially quicker and can apply that knowledge to whatever situation is at hand."

"What other skills do you have…besides strength of mind?"

"It sounds horrible to say this, but we're sort of like predators. We can hear really well, and our most dominant sense is smell. It's almost like an extra limb. That's pretty much it." Harry ended with a shrug. Well, he wasn't going to tell him _everything_.

"And all vampires are like this?"

"Yes."

"They don't get burned by the sun?"

"No." Harry laughed.

"You can't kill them with a stake?"

"No."

"Garlic doesn't repel them?"

"No. I mean, it doesn't smell very pleasant, but no food does."

"And they don't eat?"

"Only blood."

"I had wondered why you never seem to eat. Ever."

Harry chuckled. "Tastes like dirt."

They settled into silence and Harry hoped that Dumbledore was taking this seriously.

"There's a reason why I came to tell you all of this," Harry informed him gravely.

"I supposed so."

"My sister…she told me of a plan to attack Diagon Alley today. They're targeting a specific man, but she didn't know who it was."

"Are vampires attacking?" Dumbledore asked worriedly. Perhaps he was taking this seriously. Harry rejoiced at the thought.

"No, Voldemort is."

"What does Voldemort have to do with vampires?" Dumbledore sounded more concerned than he had at any other time during the entire conversation.

_Everything_, Harry thought to himself.

"He has a group of them at his disposal, ready to bow to his every whim."

"I don't think that I understand. Voldemort has a group of vampires?"

"Yes."

"But they're not attacking Diagon Alley," Dumbledore stated.

"No."

"Who is then?"

"Death Eaters."

"And your sister gave you this information?"

"Yes."

"How?" Dumbledore's eyebrows were scrunched together and he hadn't moved an inch since the mention of Voldemort.

"She overheard his vampires talking about the attack." Dumbledore gave him an inquisitive look so he added, "She's sort of undercover. She's helping us track them."

Dumbledore smiled as if he just got the punch line of a joke. "And you want to use this information to help the Order?"

"Exactly. I'm sure that she'll dig up more dirt soon, and I'd love to help out the Order, provided that I can be a part of it."

Harry wanted to cross his fingers, but figured it would be stupid to do so. He settled on chanting "Please let me in" over and over again in his head.

"I think that can be arranged."

**oOo**

Harry was in the common room, as always, when Ginny came down the stairs. She wondered if he ever slept.

"Good morning," he greeted her solemnly as she approached.

She was taken aback at his tone and replied with a careful, "Good morning." She followed him warily out of the portrait hole and they walked side by side through the halls, but he didn't say anything the whole time. It wasn't until they were seated in the Great Hall and Ginny was almost through with her breakfast that he finally spoke.

"I'm really sorry," he said.

"For what?"

"I can't go with you to Hogsmeade." His voice was soft and he wasn't looking at her. Ginny had known it was too good to be true, but there had to be some reason that he couldn't go. He was the one who had asked her after all.

"Why not?"

He stared firmly at the table and wouldn't answer. Ginny took his silence as an offense toward her, and suddenly didn't want to be there in the Great Hall sitting across from him, surrounded by people.

"I've got to go," she said hurriedly and dashed from the table as quickly as dignity would allow. Once through the door, she ran into Sarah who was just getting there.

"Ginny, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. What makes you think something's wrong?" Her voice was too hurried and broken for Sarah to believe her. Sarah raised her eyebrows. "Harry just told me he couldn't go to Hogsmeade with me."

When she heard her voice say the words she thought it sounded stupid and petty that she was this upset over a stupid Hogsmeade visit. It wasn't like it was a date or anything.

"Ginny, I'm sure that he didn't want to cancel on you. Maybe something came up. You know how he likes to disappear a lot."

"That's…possible I guess. I didn't really think about it like that. But…I guess I'll just stay in the castle. Can you get me some chocolate while you're at Honeydukes?"

"That's ridiculous, Ginny. You should go whether Harry's with you or not."

"I don't have anyone to go with. I _know_ that you were looking forward to spending time with…"

"Josh."

"… and I'm not going to intrude."

Ginny jumped when someone came and stood beside her—too close beside her.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear…. You need someone to go to Hogsmeade with?" Michael Corner.

"Yes, she does," Sarah spoke before Ginny could say anything.

"I'll take you," Michael said almost greedily.

"She'd love to," Sarah replied for her yet again.

"But—" Ginny tried to protest, but Michael had already taken her arm and started leading her towards the line to get off campus.

"I'll see you later, Ginny! Have a fun time!" Sarah called after her.

Ginny had no idea what Sarah was thinking, sending her off with this crazy boy who annoyed her to death. But then—as she was being dragged reluctantly off—they walked by Harry who was just walking out of the Great Hall. The look on his face broke her heart. It was probably the exact same one on hers. She didn't understand it—why should he be miserable if he was the one canceling on her? Maybe Sarah was right.

The queue to exit the castle was long, and the people standing in front of her and Michael were way too noisy, especially for this early in the morning. Michael himself was not as loud, but he was still chattering away at her, talking about what they could do in Hogsmeade. Ginny heard every fifth word—if that.

**oOoOo**

"Did you hear what I said, Ginny?" Michael asked her as they were walking into the village.

"Hm? Oh, sorry. No, I didn't." She knew it was really rude to not be listening to him, but she just could not keep her mind away from Harry. The sad thing was she didn't find it unusual.

"I was just saying how strange it is that Mary Greyson's going to Hogsmeade with Eric Brigham. You know…the _Slytherin_! I mean, what on earth is she thinking? She's in Hufflepuff!"

Ginny just shrugged, unconcerned about the gossip about Mary and Eric. She'd heard Sarah mention them a couple of times since school started and thought that everyone should just mind their own business and get over the fact he was in Slytherin.

"Got a lot on your mind today?" Michael asked her, undaunted by her obvious lack of interest.

"I guess."

"What is it? Maybe I could help." Ginny considered momentarily to tell him what the problem really was, that Harry had said he wanted to come here with her, but had to cancel and she didn't know why. And now her entire day was ruined all because Harry wasn't going to be with her. And that ruined day was made even worse by spending it with Michael, who couldn't talk about anything interesting to save his life.

"It's really nothing," she told him. "Why don't we stop in Honeydukes first? I really wanted to get some more chocolate."

"Sure," Michael said, taking her comment at face value and not pressing the matter further. Ginny was grateful and led the way into the small, cramped store.

The rest of the trip passed mindlessly and slowly for Ginny. She had half a mind to fake an illness and go back before lunch so they wouldn't have to eat alone and give him the idea that this was a date—even though she had already told him so in the carriage ride over. But, they ran into a couple of his friends from Ravenclaw outside the Quidditch store and Ginny invited them all to lunch with them before Michael could say anything. While Michael looked less than pleased, Ginny decided that lunch was the best part of the trip. His friends were boisterous and told the funniest stories. Lunch couldn't go on forever, unfortunately, but Ginny left the Hog's Head feeling better than she had since she saw Harry.

After a while, Michael started asking her questions so she was forced to pay attention. At first, it was mostly about her classes and school-related things, but then, as they were riding in the carriage back to the school, he started asking things that Ginny thought he had no business knowing.

"So, are you and Stewart dating?" The question was thrown out suddenly in the silence of the carriage ride and Ginny was so startled that she jumped a little.

"What?"

"Are you guys dating?"

Ginny thought about not answering, but couldn't see any rational reason behind it.

"No." Even she could hear the blatant misery behind the word. They had arrived at the castle and it took Ginny a moment to realize they'd stopped. Once she did, she quickly scrambled out of the door and into the chilly air. Michael immediately followed after her. She looked towards the castle and saw Harry sitting on the front step, watching them. Her heart lurched at the sight of him and she consciously kept her feet from running to him. She wondered absently why he was even there. He didn't seem to want to be with her that morning. Somehow, Ginny couldn't find it in her to care.

"I had a wonderful time today," Michael commented quietly as he stood in front of her, so they were both sideways from Harry's view. Michael obviously didn't see Harry sitting there, or see the way Ginny's eyes were completely focused on him. Harry smiled at her, and Ginny couldn't see anything else but him. That's why she didn't see it coming at first. Suddenly, Harry's eyes weren't looking at Ginny anymore, but at Michael. He stopped smiling and his eyes widened. Ginny looked at Michael to see what Harry was staring at and saw his face two centimeters from hers and still coming. She turned her head to stare desperately at Harry, and Michael's lips hit her cheek. But Harry wasn't there anymore. She felt him behind her, and then he put his arm in front of her and guided her behind him without actually touching her. She was half-shielded from Michael by Harry's body and wanted so much to move just a few inches forward and wrap her arms around his waist to revel in the fact that he was there, with her. Michael suddenly seemed even more unimportant than before.

"Good afternoon, Corner," Harry said coolly.

"Oh, um…hi." Michael seemed awkward and embarrassed.

Harry just glared at him and Michael backed away slightly. "Well, I'll uh—I'll see you later, Ginny, okay?" he said as he took another step back.

"Sure. Bye," Ginny said from behind Harry. Michael walked back to the castle without a backward glace.

Harry's good mood did not resurface when Ginny turned to face him. He was upset, and it made her feel…almost relieved to think that it was because Michael tried to kiss her.

"How was Hogsmeade?" he asked her as he started walking towards the lake.

"Horrible."

Harry seemed slightly surprised at her admission. "How so?" he asked.

"Sarah forced me into going with Michael. I really don't like him that much."

"Me either," Harry said to himself, but Ginny caught it and smiled faintly.

"But I did have fun during lunch. We ate with some of his friends."

"I'm glad that at least lunch was good." He paused. "I'm really sorry I couldn't come with you. I really wanted to," he told her sincerely.

Ginny decided to press her luck and try again. "Why couldn't you?"

They were at the water's edge now and Harry bent down and picked up a stone. He threw it over the lake. Ginny watched it sail out of sight and didn't see or hear it hit the water.

"I can't say," he told her reluctantly.

"Can't or won't?"

"Both," he said after some hesitancy. "Please…I'd tell you if I could."

"Okay," Ginny conceded. It was apparent that he didn't want to be questioned about it.

The pair walked in silence for some time. But instead of the comfortable kind Ginny was so used to, Harry seemed stressed, which in turn it made her stressed. His fists were clenched and his face was hard. Ginny glanced at him out of the corner of her eye often, but he didn't change.

"Harry, what's wrong?" she asked finally. She knew that he still couldn't be upset about the Michael thing. Maybe he was, but she thought that if it made him that upset he'd probably talk to her about it.

"Something happened," he said finally.

"What?"

"We're friends, right?"

Ginny was left momentarily confused at the sudden change in topic. "Yes, of course."

"You're…you're my best friend."

Ginny looked up into his face and smiled. Her heart started beating faster. He was so beautiful. She could never get tired of looking at him. She never wanted to stop looking at him.

"Will you promise never to talk about this with anyone?" he asked softly, his eyes searching hers.

"I promise."

"And I know that you can't promise this, but can you at least try not to think of me too horribly once I tell you?"

"I could never think badly of you," Ginny told him. He looked almost angrily at her.

"Don't say that," he said sharply. She raised her eyebrows at him.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "but you should probably hear what I'm going to tell you before you say something like that."

He sat down on the lake's edge. They had walked to the other side, the farthest from the castle. There was not a soul around, and despite the serious tone Harry was using, Ginny felt peaceful. She sat as close to him as she could without actually touching him. Harry was as still as a statue, staring out at the lake. Ginny looked too, and watched the sunlight throw sparkles off the gently waving water.

"You already know that I'm Harry Potter," he started, still looking at the water. "And I'm sure you've heard about how Voldemort killed my parents when I was one. What you don't know is that he still wants to kill me."

Ginny turned to look at him, but he stared straight ahead. She turned her head back around to the lake. She thought that maybe this conversation would be better if neither of them looked at each other.

"Why?"

"He seems to think that I can defeat him."

Ginny thought this was plausible. She wasn't going to say that to Harry though. She didn't know anybody who could do some of the things he did. She'd seen him do wandless magic when they were alone and he thought she wasn't watching, and he was just so smart. But it wasn't just from studying. He seemed to know about everything. There was this power that seemed to radiate from him. Even Sarah had admitted that he scared her a bit. Ginny thought he'd make a worthy adversary for Voldemort.

"But that's not really the point," he continued. "Because of Voldemort's...obsession with me, I can't escape him. When my family and I were living in Russia, he hunted me down. I had read about him before, but seeing him in person was completely different than what I expected. I decided then that he needed to be stopped, no matter what. That's the real reason that I came to Hogwarts, not to take exams or anything like that. I need what Hogwarts offers…the resources it has…to defeat him. And that's where I was today. You'll read about it in the paper tomorrow, I suppose. There was an attack on Diagon Alley, and I couldn't go to Hogsmeade and enjoy myself when I knew I would be able to help keep people from dying."

Ginny couldn't speak for a moment. Harry was mysterious, definitely, but she had never expected anything like this. Instead of worrying for Harry and what he must have gone through that morning, she felt even more infatuated with him than she had before. He unthinkingly put his life on the line for strangers he had never met, sacrificing his happiness to do so. She wondered what else he had done that she didn't know about.

"Please, say something," he almost begged her. Ginny wondered what he was worried about, and then she remembered that he thought she'd think badly of him after he told her.

"How could I think badly of you when you tell me that you cancelled to go save people's lives?" she asked flabbergasted, finally able to find her voice.

"I…I haven't told you everything yet," he said softly. His previous solemn mood was thrown back into sharp focus when Ginny chanced a look at his face.

"Go on," she encouraged him.

"There were these two children…" His voice was raw and he was talking so low that Ginny leaned in closer to listen. He moved slightly away from her and she drew back, hurt at his apparent dislike of her being close.

"A Death Eater was chasing after them, and he hit one of them with the Cruciatus curse. So I…" He trailed off here, closing his eyes and remembering things Ginny didn't want to see.

"What did you do?" she whispered.

"I…I killed him."

Somehow, the admission did not surprise Ginny even though she thought it should have. She had almost seen it coming.

"Good," she said fiercely.

"What?" Harry gasped.

"It's good you killed him," Ginny told him, turning to face him. "He killed people for no reason. He was the worst kind of human being. By killing him, who knows how many lives you've saved?"

Harry looked at her astonished, his mouth slightly open.

"I thought…" He took a breath and looked away. "I thought you'd hate me."

"Don't you get it? I could never hate you," she reminded him.

"Don't say that," he replied in the tone just like before, in the beginning of the conversation.

"Why am I not allowed to say that?" Ginny challenged.

"Because one day you might want to take it back. I don't want you to regret anything more than you'll have to."

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"Never mind."

"No, come on. What?" Ginny questioned. If he was going to talk in riddles then he should be prepared to explain them too.

But Harry closed his mouth and refused to say any more. They sat by the lake for a little while longer, but this time Harry wasn't watching the water. Ginny knew she was blushing from his intense stare, but somehow she really didn't mind. If he got to stare at her, then she decided she was entitled to take the rare chance to openly gawk at him. No one was around to make fun of her, and she really couldn't care less if Harry knew she was staring at him. But when she turned to do so, she met his eyes. She hadn't noticed earlier during their conversation because she had been so absorbed in what he was saying, but now that she really looked, she realized they were black. Like ink.

"I think we should be heading in." Harry's voice broke through her fascination and he sounded nervous.

"Sure," Ginny replied easily, breaking his gaze and standing up. She dusted off her pants and waited for Harry to get up. He was so quick that one second he was on the ground and the next he was standing beside her.

"So what did you do in Hogsmeade?" he asked her curiously. She spent the walk to the castle enumerating all the reasons why she was never going to go anywhere with Michael Corner again. She hoped Harry didn't mind—she was complaining a lot and wasn't being very nice to Michael—but she really needed to vent and let the last hour with Harry settle in her mind before she thought about it.

**oOoOo**

The following day was one of immense worry for Harry. It was the day that he was going to his first Order meeting. Not only was he concerned about whether he was going to be accepted or not, he was apprehensive about Ginny. She was acting the same, as usual. It was just like when she found out he was Harry Potter. But her behavior concerned him this time. No one can take finding out that their friend is a killer very well. But here she was, sitting across from him at the breakfast table, reading the _Daily Prophet_ with a frown on her face. The article about the attack on Diagon Alley yesterday was on the front page, and she was reading it through for the second time. After she had read it the first time, she had mentioned to Harry that he wasn't mentioned in it anywhere, not even a vague reference. He had said that he wanted it no other way. The less known he was, the better it was for everyone.

He didn't know how he was going to tell her he was leaving again for most of the day. He hated leaving her; it made him uneasy. It was ironic that he couldn't have her close but didn't like having her far away either. Maybe it was more miserably sad than ironic. But he knew that he wasn't supposed to tell her about the Order, and he didn't plan to. If he was honest, he didn't want to tell her—not because of the secrecy of the organization, he knew she could keep a secret—but because it would most assuredly raise questions about how he became part of the alliance, and he was still in school. On the other hand, maybe she would expect it because he was Harry Potter, but somehow he didn't think so.

"Ginny?" He got her attention and she put down the paper and the cup of coffee she was holding. It was her third one this morning, and Harry wondered if schoolwork was really what was keeping her up at night. She had been going to bed a lot earlier than she had the other week. Perhaps she had realized that she actually did need to sleep, but the dark circles still persisted.

"Yeah?" she asked him. He leaned forward slightly.

"I'm leaving after breakfast…again."

"Oh no," Ginny gasped softly. "There's another…?"

"No. No, nothing like that. I mean, it has something to do with it, but there's not going to be another one—none that I know of anyway."

"Can you tell me what you're doing?"

"I can tell you part of it," Harry conceded. "I'm going to see my family."

"Really? Say 'hi' to everyone for me. I know that I haven't met all of them, but…" Ginny shrugged. Harry smiled, thrilled that she seemed to like his family enough to ask him to do that.

"I'll remember to. Tamah will be so happy."

"I wish I could meet the rest of them," Ginny said wishfully.

"You will," Harry promised her, suddenly very serious. "One day, I promise I'll take you to meet them."

"Sirius too?"

"Yes," he replied.

"You mean it?"

"Of course I do. I said it, didn't it?"

Ginny smiled and Harry wished that he didn't have to go, but it was nearing the time for him to leave to make it on time to the meeting. He glanced at his watch and then to Dumbledore's empty spot at the head table.

"You have to leave now, I guess," Ginny said.

"Just imagine all the homework you can get done without me there talking at you," Harry told her.

"I hate homework," Ginny grumbled into her coffee mug. He smiled at her and wished he could reach over and hold her hand—just for a second—before he left. Instead he stood up and said a quick goodbye, bolting from the room before he allowed himself the chance to change his mind.

The halls were silent as he sped through them and out the front door. The ground was wet with frost that had melted in the morning sun, and the lake was still and peaceful as he passed by it. It wasn't difficult for him to get from Hogwarts to London, and before long he was standing on the steps to Grimmauld Place, slightly nervous at his unveiling to the Order. No one but Sirius and Dumbledore knew he had joined and although Dumbledore commanded the respect of all of those in the group, Harry believed it was going to be difficult for them to accept him, a mere student, when Dumbledore didn't give a reason for his admittance.

After he opened the door, he heard the clamor of many voices at once. They were all crowded in the kitchen, talking to one another. By the sound of it, they were still waiting on a few members to arrive. Harry didn't know what he was supposed to do. Should he go into the kitchen, where people would question his presence? Or, should he wait in another room, out of sight, until Dumbledore introduced him? He hadn't been fretting over it long when he heard Sirius approaching him from behind. His footsteps were careful, and it seemed to Harry that he was trying to keep his breathing shallow. Harry waited until Sirius was right behind him, and then turned quickly, catching his arm and—as carefully as he could—bent it back while flinging him to the ground.

"Damn it," Sirius complained. "I thought I had you that time. Was I close?"

"I heard you walk out of the kitchen. And of course, you breathe louder than any other person I know."

"Stupid, highly sensitive senses. Now let me up!"

Harry jumped off him and smirked as he scrambled off the ground.

"Face it, you just can't sneak up on me."

"One of these days," Sirius vowed, "I'm going to find a way to succeed. And we'll see who's laughing then! Now come on, the meeting's about to start and you're the star."

"Wonderful," Harry said bitterly. "But I thought there were still a couple of people missing?"

"They're coming later on. Dumbledore wants to get it started now so you're not missed at school. Don't want anyone worrying their pretty little red head about where you are, do we?" Sirius asked with raised eyebrows.

"She knows where I am. Well…partially."

"Oh really? And where are you?" Sirius asked shrewdly.

"Visiting my family," Harry stated.

"Does Dumbledore know you're making this little stop on the way back to school?"

"Not exactly."

"Excellent. Keep up the good work."

Harry rolled his eyes and followed his godfather down the hall and through the kitchen door. It felt like he was walking into a lion's den. The room fell quiet as soon as Harry stepped through the door.

_This is not going to go well_, he thought sullenly to himself. Dumbledore introduced him to the group at large and Harry took a seat by Sirius. His mood brightened considerably when he realized that Dumbledore had no intention of telling them exactly who he really was, how old he was, or why he was suddenly a part of the Order. All the teachers that were part of it must have been instructed to keep their mouths closed on the subject too. It amazed Harry how easily these people accepted Dumbledore's actions. Unquestioningly. Harry didn't like the mindset, but was not going to complain when it saved him from scrutiny.

The meeting revolved around the attack that had occurred at Diagon Alley yesterday. Harry stayed silent during the discussion and did not venture to comment on anything. He really didn't want to draw attention to himself and knew it would be odd if he started spurting out defensive tactics and instructing them on magical technique. It probably wouldn't be appreciated. Harry wondered if there was a way he could get Roger in here to devise some defense plans. He had already designed several wards that could be implemented on the spot during a battle to reinforce the area that one was using for cover. While he went over different ways to initiate that conversation with Dumbledore, he looked around at all the people situated at the table. Next to Sirius was Remus Lupin, one of the infamous Marauders and Sirius' best friend. Remus was sitting next to a young woman with bright pink hair whose name, Harry thought, was Tonks. It was obvious by the way she was cutting glances at Remus that there was something going on between them. There were a number of people that Harry hadn't caught the name of, but near the opposite end of the table there was a redheaded couple. Weasleys. Harry hadn't taken any note of them before because he had been distracted by Sirius and his anxiety. But now that he looked at them, actually looked at them, he could see some of Ginny's features in their faces. They were her parents, his future parents-in-law according to Tamah. Harry scowled at the thought and tore his eyes away from the pair. Moving around the table, his eyes found a man with a fake eye who was staring at him. Harry raised an eyebrow slightly and the man glared. Alastor Moody. He was famous, and Harry had read about him in some obscure book that he had bought during the summer. Maybe he would be open to Harry's tactical suggestions. Then again—taking into account the way the man was glaring at him—maybe not. Beside him sat another redhead and a bushy haired woman. They couldn't have been that much older that Harry. From what Ginny had told him, he deduced that they were her brother, Ron, and his fiancée, Hermione. Ginny had given him a synopsis of all of her relatives, and she had mentioned during one of her ramblings that Ron was good at chess. He was a possibility for introducing the new ward and whatever else to the group.

It was a quick meeting, with the sole purpose of going over the battle from yesterday, and the few people that Sirius had said would come later didn't show up until the very end when they were wrapping things up. After Dumbledore called the meeting to a close, Harry stood up and was about to make his way over to where Ron and Hermione were still seated at the table talking, when Moody appeared behind him almost blocking him in between the wall and the table. Harry had to commend him on his ability to move more quietly than many, even with that wooden leg of his.

"Stewart," Moody growled in a harsh voice. Harry was taken back and suddenly very wary of his intentions. "I'm Alastor Moody," he said, thrusting his hand forward for Harry to shake.

"I'm Harry. It's nice to meet you," he said as he shook the proffered hand. Moody had a calculating look in his eyes that Harry didn't like one bit. He was staring into Harry's eyes and didn't look away, even when a few members passed them on their way to the door. He was still gripping Harry's hand with what he probably thought was intimidating force. Finally, he let Harry's hand go free, and took a step back.

Instead of questioning Harry about why he was there, as Harry thought he would, he turned and walked over to Dumbledore. "I need to talk to you, later," Moody whispered, not looking back at Harry once. Dumbledore did, though, and Harry shot him a worried look. He decided that he'd talk to Ron about the ward later. He needed to get out of there. But first, he wanted to talk to Sirius. He tracked him down in the crowd, and avoiding Moody completely, pulled him out into the hall.

"What's the hurry?" Sirius asked, rubbing his arm where Harry had gripped it.

"I need to leave, but I had a question about the Map," Harry said quickly.

"What about it?"

"Well, I was wondering why it would say Stewart one day, and then Potter the next."

"In reference to yourself, I'm assuming."

Harry gave him a look that said, "Obviously."

"Simply put, the Map works like delivery owls do. They deliver letters to the person who identifies himself with the name on the letter. Whatever you believe your name to be, that's what shows up on the Map. Now you can't just think 'I'm going to be so-and-so today' and have it show up on the map, you really have to mean it," Sirius explained.

"But I don't consider myself a Potter—not really. The Stewarts raised me, they're the only family I know."

"Has it only shown Potter once?"

"As far as I know."

"And what day was it?"

Harry thought back. It was the day that Ginny had found out he was Harry Potter. He had visited his family, found out Aurora was going to track Voldemort's vampires, and then stopped by Sirius' where they had talked about Ginny, and then his parents to try to cheer him up. That's right. He was feeling particularly Potter-ish when he had come back to school.

"The day you told me about my parent's wedding," Harry said immediately. "That would explain it, then."

"I'm glad I could clear that up for you," Sirius replied.

Harry looked around shiftily. "I should leave."

"But you just got here not that long ago."

"Moody's suspicious of me. I just think it'd be best if I stayed out of his way for right now."

"Moody's suspicious of everybody," Sirius told him.

Harry shrugged and said goodbye, glancing back at the kitchen door when he smelled Moody. He was standing just inside, watching the two of them shrewdly. Harry made a beeline for the door. He didn't know how trustworthy Moody was, and he hoped that his chances of remaining in the Order were not going to be ruined if he ever figured out whatever was bothering him.

The cool air was refreshing after being in that cramped room with so many people. It cleared his senses and his mind. It was only mid-morning, so his pace was slower than usual as he went to his family's flat. Once he arrived at the building, though, his excitement at seeing everyone made his steps faster and he quickly reached the door. He opened it and found Roger first, sitting in the living room surrounded by neat piles of parchment with four different text books opened around him.

"Good morning, Harry," Roger greeted him without looking up. His hand was moving fast on the parchment and then stopped. The other hand grabbed the parchment and stacked it neatly into one of the existing towers of paper.

"What are you working on?" Harry asked, curiously peering at the recently discarded sheet.

"An extension of my previous ward. I'm trying to make it stronger, but still have it retain its portability and casting characteristics. It's not working out the way I'd like and I just cannot figure out why." Roger sounded frustrated and placed the parchment he had been drawing on while he talked into a rather large pile behind him.

"I'd look at it, but I wouldn't really know what I was doing for the most part."

"It's okay, maybe I'll come back to it later. I wanted to try and design…" Roger said, but his voice trailed off, as if he realized that he shouldn't say whatever he was about to. He shot a nervous, quick glance at Harry, and then started gathering the piles of parchment together.

"What are you going to try and do?" Harry asked him, placing a spell on the piles so they would stay together and organized.

"It's nothing," Roger mumbled, barely audible. Harry raised his eyebrows, and was about to assure him it wasn't nothing when Jane walked in. Roger shot her a grateful look that Harry didn't miss.

"I'm so happy to see you, Harry," Jane said as she enveloped him in a hug. He smiled at her welcome and she let go. "But why are you here? Shouldn't you be at school studying?"

"I guess Aurora hasn't arrived yet?" Harry asked her.

"She's coming today?" Roger asked Harry, who nodded.

"That's what she said yesterday when I spoke to her. That's what I came here to tell you. She found the entire group, and the information she gave me helped to better prepare everyone for an attack that happened at Diagon Alley."

"I read about that in the paper this morning," Jane said sadly. "They said many people died."

"It's true," Harry admitted. "But many more would have lost their lives if the Order hadn't known."

"So it's official? You're in the Order?" Adam asked, walking into the room.

"Yep. I went to my first meeting today and everything."

"And do you think it will help, with the war?"

"I don't know yet. They don't really seem to know what they're doing. They have a goal, but no set way to reach it. There's a lot of capable people in it, though, so there's potential for improvement. Their intel will help if nothing else."

They passed the rest of the time until Aurora arrived in conversation. Adam and Jane told of how they had both gotten jobs and were thinking about buying a nearby house and remodeling it. Both of them were worried about doing something so permanent—just in case they had to leave suddenly—but Harry thought it was a great idea and told them so. Roger had been spending most of his time working on the ward, and whatever other secret projects he didn't want Harry to know about. Tamah was apparently sulking in her room for reasons unknown to all—even her.

"Hello, everyone!" Aurora greeted them as she shut the door to the flat. Harry put down the Muggle paper he had been staring at—they had taken to putting in pictures of the missing people—and greeted her. Tamah appeared next to Harry and sat down close to him.

"I missed you," she whispered to him.

"I missed you, too," he whispered back. Tamah had dark circles under her black eyes and Harry wondered why she hadn't been eating lately.

Aurora sat down on the other side of Harry on the couch and looked across at the others.

"Are you doing okay, dear?" Jane directed at Aurora.

"I'm wonderful. Couldn't be better," she said in her sing-song voice. It wasn't like her to be this… upbeat. Harry stared at her face, as if her eyes could tell him her secrets. When he looked close enough, the gold had a couple flecks of red running through them. He recoiled at the thought and was about to speak up when Aurora inhaled sharply and grabbed the newspaper.

"What is it?" Adam questioned her. She was staring at the page Harry had just been examining, the one with the pictures of the missing Muggles.

"This cannot be good," she mumbled to herself.

"What is it?" Adam's voice was more forceful this time.

"It's Eva." Her voice was awed, as if Eva had done something monumental and she had just now realized it.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked sharply as he tore the paper out of her hands. He found the picture labeled "Eva Perry."

"That's her."

"Who's Eva?" Adam and Roger asked as one.

"When I first found one of them, Joseph, he was watching over a newborn, Eva. She had a bit of a superiority complex, but nothing to back it up. So I sort of…taught her a lesson. But that's definitely her," she finished, pointing at the black and white picture.

The living room was silent as the occupants mulled this new piece of information over. It was interrupted by Roger's loud exclamation.

"It's just like New York!"

Everyone's eyes turned quickly towards him and he launched into a hurried explanation.

"Remember the man who created me? He wanted to have the most powerful gang in New York City, and he thought that the best way to go about that was to have an entire group of vampires at his service. So he created something of a small army of us. I think…I think Voldemort's got the same idea. He's abducting Muggles—young and strong—and turning them into vampires. There are more of them, aren't there? More newborns where Joseph is?"

"Yes. Joseph said he was supposed to teach her how to fight."

"How many people have been taken?" Roger asked unwillingly.

"Almost forty," Harry whispered, aghast. Jane let out a half sob and Tamah held on to Harry's hand.

"No," she pleaded almost silently to herself. "No."

"There's no possible way that all the wizards in Britain could beat that many," Adam stated. "Newborns are even faster than we are…well, with the exception of Harry," he said as he nodded to his son. "And they have strength on their side. No amount of magic can beat that. There would be no one for anyone to aim their wand at."

"Please, don't," Tamah begged, still so soft that the plea was just a breath.

"I don't want to say this, because we were just about to start a real life here, but I think that we need to find some help…help that won't be found in Britain."

Tamah closed her eyes as if she wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn't come. They never did.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Falling Down

**Chapter 5: Falling Down**

Harry knew he was approaching the point of no control, and he knew it was stupid to be taking such a risk with Ginny constantly around him. He needed to hunt. His thirst was becoming overpowering, but with all that had happened in the past couple of days he couldn't find the time. He hadn't realized how bad it was until he had been alone with Ginny by the lake. It had taken everything in him to walk back to the castle with her. It would have been so easy…there were no witnesses and she was so small…

The next day had been a little easier because she had only been near him during breakfast. Even being in the cramped kitchen filled with Order members didn't compare to the pull that Ginny alone had on him. It was unnerving, scary…yet at the same time Harry knew that if she hadn't smelled so wonderful, he probably wouldn't have spared her a second glance. It was a bittersweet thought…that being the monster he was, was the reason that he had gotten to know Ginny in the first place. But he had, and despite the sudden urges to take her life, the past couple of months had been the happiest of Harry's short life. He wished that they could have a future…that this strange friendship they were in would be able to become something more. And he knew it could. He wasn't an idiot, nor was he oblivious. But the question that was always in the back of his mind was whether Ginny really liked him for _who_ he was, or was it just her human instincts liking him because of _what_ he was?

He knew that every member of his family was very appealing to humans. It was one of their traits, he supposed. It wasn't hard to attract an interested glance. In fact, it took no effort on his part—not that he willingly threw himself at people, that was Aurora's specialty. But he knew they looked, and he knew why. It was always the same. A woman would see him from across the room, and start walking over. But there was always a limit that she reached where she wouldn't come any closer. Subconscious instincts kept her from coming all the way to him and introducing herself. He was a monster, and she knew it, if only on a very subconscious level.

It was because of this that he found Ginny even more intriguing. She had been the only one to cross that line, that invisible barrier from which a normal person's subconscious would keep her away. And she had continued to cross it every day: eating with him, talking with him, walking close to him. Being friends with him. He wondered if she ever felt scared to be beside him. On the few occasions that she had touched him, he wondered if she dwelled on how icy his skin was, or how his upper lip always seemed to pull up slightly over his teeth before he could stop it.

Nothing was more frustrating for Harry than feeling such a range and mix of emotions, all at once, about the same person. He thought about her constantly, and such thoughts were always accompanied by several strong emotions: sorrow, anger, protectiveness, and love. Sorrow for what he could have had if he was human, anger at himself for making himself into a monster, a fierce feeling of protectiveness over her against himself, and love. To pinpoint the exact moment that he realized he couldn't keep on living without her would be difficult. It started out as a fascination. Why would one person smell so delicious? What was it about her blood that made him lose control the way he never had before?

Later he thought that the best way to protect her from him was to get to know her. It was twisted logic to be sure, but he supposed that if he got to know her as a person, his morals would break through the monster if he ever tried to hurt her. He found that he really liked the person he had found and never looked back. But looking forward was so hard to do. He knew it was impossible that they would stay the way they were now. School would end, and he didn't know what he would do after that. It wasn't even a possibility that Ginny wasn't in the picture, but he knew he couldn't be with her. He wasn't even sure if she wanted him…not in the way he wanted her: forever.

His head snapped around at an approaching sound in the dark forest. He was in deep enough that the sky was completely obscured by the branches of the trees. Attention was needed, and he tried to push all thoughts of Ginny to the back of his mind. Pushing them out completely was unachievable and he had come to terms with that a long time ago.

**oOoOo**

On his walk back to the castle, Harry decided that he was going to get tired of Dumbledore's office quickly if he had to keep visiting him this frequently. Informing him about Voldemort's newly created army of really strong, really fast instinctive idiots seemed like a good idea, however, so Harry stopped at the gargoyle and said the password. Dumbledore was not going to be happy with this new development. But perhaps knowing that Adam and Jane were going to find help would make the news more bearable. It didn't seem likely.

"What can I do for you Mr. Stewart?" Dumbledore asked once Harry had taken a seat.

He glanced at all the portraits staring intently at him before looking at Dumbledore. "Voldemort's building an army," he said simply.

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, we are aware he's been getting a lot of people to take the Mark. And the werewolves officially joined him last week," he added as an afterthought.

"A vampire army," Harry clarified. "The Muggles who have been going missing…Voldemort's turning them into vampires and training them to fight. But," Harry said before Dumbledore could respond, "Jane and Adam are going to France. They have a few acquaintances there that might come to help."

"That's as much as we can hope for," Dumbledore replied wearily. "Do you think that all the Muggles Voldemort has taken will fight for him once they're turned?"

"It's not so much about their loyalty to him," Harry explained, "as it is the destruction they'll be able to cause."

Dumbledore asked a few more questions about the army and wanted to know if there was anything that the Order could do. Harry assured him that there wasn't anything. Right before Harry opened the door to leave, Dumbledore's voice stopped him.

"I'd be careful around Alastor Moody if I were you," he told Harry. "He swears there's something off about you and nothing will stop him until he figures out what it is."

"As long as no one tells him anything, I don't see how he would find out. We're not talked or written about."

"Don't underestimate him, Harry," Dumbledore admonished. "He's seen much in his day."

Harry nodded silently and closed the door behind him.

**oOoOo**

Quidditch practice was always tiring, and Ginny's pace was slow as she walked from the locker room to the common room. She was sorely tempted to just fly on her broom through the hall, but was pretty sure it was against the rules. It was rather lonely walking back by herself. Usually, Harry accompanied her, but he hadn't even gone to the practice. He had said he needed to do something; he wouldn't say what. She was curious as to where he went when he left for hours at a time, but didn't feel like she had any right to ask. There was a noise behind her and from behind a suit of armour Astoria Greengrass appeared, wand in hand.

"Where's your bodyguard?" Astoria asked, walking closer to her. "You know, the tall, pale one who follows you around everywhere?"

"Where's yours?" Ginny asked acerbically, taking note of the fact that Astoria, who was usually followed by at least one other Slytherin, was indeed alone. She subtly pulled out her own wand out of her pocket. In all the other confrontations she'd had with Astoria, they had been quick and to the point. They both disliked each other enough that a hex would fly with barely any words exchanged. It was no different this time.

The curse from Astoria's wand was fast and Ginny, after sending out a curse of her own, could not dodge in time. It cut through her school robe, but only left a shallow cut on her arm. Astoria had been hit head-on and was on the floor, covered in flapping bat bogeys. Ginny picked her broom back up and forced herself to walk away, not daring to look back lest her anger boil over and she hexed her again. Clenching the broomstick with as much force as she could muster and cursing under her breath, she climbed the stairs to the fifth floor and passed a painting that admonished her for her use of foul language.

"Cursing portraits now, Gin?" she heard a voice call.

She gasped in surprise and elation at the new voice and then smiled. She turned around to face Harry, who was walking up the stairs below her.

"No, I'm cursing Greengrass because she was actually able to hex me."

"Are you hurt?" he asked concernedly; he walked quickly up the stairs, but froze mid-step. Ginny watched as Harry transformed before her eyes. His eyes narrowed and his stance seemed to want to become a crouch, something Ginny had never seen before. He looked…animalistic. Dangerous. Ginny felt a tingle of fear down her spine; she felt the same adrenaline rushing through her that she had the first time she'd seen him. His eyes were locked on hers and she couldn't look away. She was rooted in place. They stood there, the only movement the increasingly rapid rise and fall of Ginny's chest as she escalated towards panic. Then, he stepped forward once, and Ginny looked away from his eyes. His lips curled slightly up over his white teeth...and then he was gone. Ginny looked frantically around for him, but she was alone in the hallway.

"Were you planning on just standing there all day?" one of the portraits asked her loudly, and she jumped at the intruding voice.

Shakily, she walked as fast as she could to the Gryffindor tower. She blurted the password to the Fat Lady and then ran up to her dormitory, tossing her broom on the floor and diving onto her bed where she proceeded to bury herself among the pillows and blankets. She had no idea what had just happened, but she had a very, very bad feeling about it.

**oOoOo**

Harry slumped onto the couch, the enormity of what had almost happened occupying his mind completely. He had almost killed her right there, at the top of the stairs, regardless of all the portraits watching. And he could have, so easily. If he had not hunted that morning, he wouldn't have been able to stop himself from attacking her. But she was breathing…her breathing had increased and it had reminded him that she was a person—a real, living person, and he was about to take that away from her. She needed to breathe to live. He couldn't do that to her. So he ran, faster than he had ever run before, removing himself and thus the danger from her. He couldn't go home. Jane and Adam hadn't left for France yet; he wouldn't be able to face them. Tamah and Roger...he wouldn't be able to bear the looks on their faces. They all looked up to him. He was the one that was stronger than the rest of them; he gave them hope that they too could live without guilt, without the constant evil that presided in them when they took a life. And he had almost ruined that. So he had gone to the only other place left: Grimmauld Place.

He figured Sirius hadn't heard him come in, because he remained alone in the room until it grew dark outside. He spent the time going over everything that was wonderful about Ginny, everything that made her human. He lit a fire in the fireplace and lay on the couch sideways to stare at it, dark orange and red, like Ginny's hair. Like blood. He had lost track of time when Sirius finally came in, drink and book in hand. Harry heard them clatter to the floor.

"Harry!" he exclaimed, coming around so he was blocking his view of the fire. "You scared the shit out of me," Sirius continued. "What are you doing here?"

Harry didn't answer and closed his eyes.

"Well?" Sirius prompted, cleaning up the mess he had made with the drink with a swish of his wand and placing the book on the table. He went around and sat in one of the armchairs facing the couch.

Harry opened his eyes and stared at Sirius. "I almost killed Ginny today," he replied bluntly and then closed his eyes once more. Sirius was better than the rest of his family, but he didn't want to see the look on his face either.

It appeared Sirius didn't know what to say to that, because silence reigned in the room for a moment.

"But you didn't."

Harry second guessed himself on the idea of coming here. Maybe it would have been better to just head over to a forest in a country far, far away. There he could at least wallow in his own misery without having to talk to certain people who were being stupid.

"I almost did. I had never been so close to actually killing someone before—not over blood," Harry said wretchedly.

"But you didn't," Sirius repeated.

"Would you stop saying that!" Harry yelled at him.

"No, because until you get it through your head that you _didn't_ kill her, you need to hear it! She's not dead. You. Didn't. Kill. Her."

Harry got up off the couch and headed towards the front door. He had never been to Australia before and figured it wouldn't take that long to get there.

"Harry, stop," Sirius commanded. He got up out of the chair and pulled Harry by the arm until he was lying on the couch again.

"What do you think you're going to do? Run and hide?"

"If that's what I have to do to keep Ginny safe, then yes."

Sirius groaned and put his head in his hands. "She's not any safer with you gone than she is with you there. In fact, you'd probably be hurting her more."

"Well, seeing as she'd be alive, then I'd have to argue not."

"Haven't you ever thought about what leaving her will do to you?"

"Of course I've thought about it! I've imagined the day when she finds out over and over again in my mind. The end—when she leaves—is always the worst part. I _know_ what it'll be like to leave her, but I don't care if I'm miserable as long as she's safe from me."

"And what about looking at this whole scenario from her side? If you're so concerned for her wellbeing, why haven't you thought about what leaving will do to her? Don't you think it will be even worse on her part, because not only will you have left her, but she'll have no idea why!"

"Emotions heal," Harry replied in a monotone. "Not even magic can bring people back from the dead."

"Do _your_ emotions heal?" Sirius asked sharply.

Harry sat up and glared at Sirius. "No, but that's because I'm not _human_. With time, hers will. It's not like her attachment to me is so great that she'll never recover."

"How sure are you about that?" Sirius asked gravely. Harry caught his tone.

"Why?"

"From what I hear, she's attached to you a great deal."

"How do you figure that?"

"Ginny's friends with Hermione. She writes her a lot about you, you know. Nothing of any great importance, but Hermione's pretty damn smart. She figured it out easily. Hermione seems convinced that Ginny's finally 'found someone.' Her words, not mine," Sirius explained.

"If she has, then she's found someone that would kill her given half the chance," Harry retorted angrily.

"I'm not going to keep going over this with you. Stay as long as you like, but until you come to your senses, I don't want to have this conversation again. There is no possible way that you could kill someone you love." And with that, Sirius picked his book up off the table and left the room. Harry listened as his footsteps echoed through the empty house. He heard Sirius's bedroom door shut and then lay back down on the couch to stare again at the fire. He replayed one of the conversations that he and Ginny had had walking around the lake one evening in September. He remembered the exact sound of her voice, the way her cheeks were red from the wind, her hair swirling around her face…the way she smelled. He had asked her about her brothers.

_"Bill works for Gringotts right now. He used to be in Egypt treasure hunting, but came back to help with the war effort. Charlie's in Romania caring for Dragons. You know what Fred and George do. And Ron got a job thinking up Quidditch plays for the Chudley Cannons," Ginny told him._

_"You said you have six brothers. You only mentioned five."_

_"Oh, well...Percy. He works for the Ministry. We're not exactly talking to or about him right now."_

_"Why not?"_

_"Because he supports the stupid Ministry and the moron running the whole charade."_

_"Fudge."_

_Ginny nodded. "He practically worships him. It's been a huge problem for the family lately. Mum sends him letters and he always sends them back unopened. I have never seen Dad as angry as the day he came home after the huge argument with Percy. Even Dad and Mum fought like they never had before."_

_"If he abandoned his own family, why would your mum still write him letters?"_

_"Because…no matter what he does, he's still part of the family. If you love someone, you accept everything about them, the good, the bad, the ugly…the stupid."_

**oOoOo**

Ginny didn't want to get out of bed, but desperately wanted to take a shower. The two sides warred with each other for a few minutes until she literally rolled herself over the edge of the bed. Now that her blood was pumping, she felt a little more awake. She stumbled into the bathroom and proceeded to freak out. She had lain in bed last night until she had fallen asleep, and her alarm had woken her up early. Early, so she could get ready for breakfast…with Harry. She looked at herself in the mirror and a pale, unrecognizable face looked back at her. When she walked down into the common room, would she see him? Would he be there? Maybe the more important question was: what if he wasn't? She couldn't think of anything else and by the time she had showered and dressed, she had resolved to sit in bed until the end of the day and then ask Sarah if she had seen Harry. But then Sarah walked into the dormitory.

"Why aren't you in the Great Hall already?" she asked Ginny quizzically.

"I…I guess I'm just running a little late today," she replied, stumbling a little over her words.

"Well come on, we can all walk down together. I'm suppose to meet Josh so all four of us can eat together—not that Harry eats," she said.

Ginny could only look at her worriedly and sling her bag over her shoulder. She had a feeling that there wasn't going to be a foursome. She followed Sarah down the stairs, trying to make herself believe that Harry really wasn't going to be there. It was impossible to get her heart to accept it, though. He was always there. That's why, even though she tried to be prepared, she missed the last step walking down the stairs and tripped a bit. Sarah halfway caught her, but Ginny could only stare at the empty couch, stunned. Her heart wrenched in her chest and she swallowed painfully. Maybe he was still here, in school. He had to be. She'd see him in class. He just didn't want to have anything to do with _her_ anymore. But at least he'd still be here. Well, that was what she told herself at least, as she and Sarah walked down the hall.

"Where's Harry?" Sarah asked for the millionth time.

"I. Don't. Know," Ginny said, emphasizing each word.

"Has he ever not waited for you before?"

Not without telling her that he wouldn't be there, he hadn't. But Ginny didn't want to say anything about Harry. She tried not to think.

"How was the Hogsmeade trip with Josh?" Ginny asked Sarah. She became distracted enough.

"It was absolutely perfect. It was just the two of us and it was like we were the only two in the whole town. He was wonderful and funny and just great. I wasn't bored once!"

"Well, then he's an improvement from…Owen? Or was it Keith?"

"Both," Sarah replied happily. "And you got him all wrong, Ginny. He didn't flirt with a single girl the entire time we were there!"

"That's good to hear," Ginny said slightly sarcastically.

They were approaching the doors to the Great Hall where Josh was waiting, so the conversation stopped. Ginny averted her eyes as the couple embraced and then followed them awkwardly to the table, feeling all the embarrassment and discomfort of a third wheel, which (naturally) reminded her exactly _why_ she was in such a position. She took a deep breath as she sat down across from the disgustingly happy couple and took great care in picking and placing the breakfast foods on her plate.

"So where's Stewart today?" Josh directed at Ginny as she drank her coffee. His tone was casual, but it had a hint of annoyance with it. He must have been upset that Ginny was sitting with them today. The unexpected and completely unwelcome question caught her by surprise and she coughed a bit on her coffee before she could answer.

"I don't know," she said tersely, her patience on the subject already used up by Sarah.

"Hm," was his only reply, and Ginny glared down at her plate, angry with him for being so inconsiderate. Wasn't it obvious that she didn't want to talk about the confusing and frustrating boy she was trying to forget about at the moment?

The couple across the table from Ginny spent the rest of the meal in giggles and whispered words. Sarah was slightly more subdued than usual, Ginny noted, but she couldn't bear to watch them. Not this morning. She said a hurried goodbye to both of them and miserably walked out of the hall, her head down. She was almost to the staircase when she remembered she had forgotten a textbook she had been carrying to lighten the load of her book bag. She turned back and was in sight of the doors when the bell to go to class rang. A mass of students began pouring out into the hallway and Ginny had to fight her way back into the Great Hall. After being stepped on more times than she could count and shoved by some rude people, she snatched her book up and walked to the doors. She saw Sarah and Josh walking slightly ahead of her and she sped up to catch them. There were still students around her, but the crowd was not as dense as it had been before. She was about to walk up next to Sarah when she heard Josh speak.

"Why are you friends with her, anyway?" he was saying.

"Because she's a wonderful person. She's my best friend," Sarah said defensively.

"What's wrong with her? Couldn't she see that we were having breakfast together?"

"I told her to come with us." Her voice went up an octave.

"So she could sit there and glare at us?"

"She's just not feeling well today, that's all," Sarah told him, her voice sympathetic.

"It's because Stewart isn't here, I'm sure. I swear, she follows him around like he's Merlin or someone. I can only guess why he lets her," Josh said suggestively.

Sarah stopped in the middle of the hallway and Ginny almost crashed into her, but she veered off quickly to the left and squeezed in between two sixth years, both of whom were tall enough to hide her from view. She didn't try to look back at Sarah, not knowing what she'd see. Her feet couldn't move fast enough through the masses of students to the classroom. Finally, she saw the door and dashed towards it, almost throwing herself into her seat once she was inside. The classroom was only half full, and Ginny busied herself with taking out her books and supplies and then organizing them on her desk, but her motions could not stop the thoughts running through her mind. Was that how the student body saw her and Harry? Was he just so unreachable that _that_ could be the only reason that he was friends with her? Why were people so cruel? Never before had she cared so much what people thought about her, but if that was what people were whispering about, then it threw Harry into a bad light, and to her he was the one person in the whole world who couldn't be considered anything but perfect.

The bell rang and Ginny looked around, although she already knew he hadn't come in. Her already crushed spirit was thrown down into the mud and stomped on—again. Sarah ran in frantically not ten seconds later. Her face was red and the hand that wasn't carrying some of her books was balled into a fist. She came in noisily, practically slamming her books on the table. The professor glared at her and she backed down, falling unceremoniously into her seat with a sigh. The lecture started, and Ginny didn't get the chance to ask Sarah what had happened. She wasn't sure if she would have anyway, even if she had had the chance. She glanced at Sarah and saw her scribbling on some parchment. Ginny figured she should probably follow her example and take some notes, but just as she dipped her quill into the ink, Sarah unobtrusively slid the parchment over to her.

_So I just broke up with Josh in the middle of the hallway._

Ginny took a moment to debate with herself on whether or not she should tell Sarah that she heard part of their conversation. She wondered if that really was the reason she broke up with him.

_Why? Did you decide he was boring?_ Ginny wrote back and slid the parchment back over.

_No, but I realized that a guy has to do more than just make me laugh. He's got to be a good person._

_What happened to make you realize this?_

_I don't know… Josh was running his mouth and it made me think about what kind of a person he was, to other people and stuff. I didn't like it, so I broke up with him._

So Sarah wasn't going to tell Ginny what Josh had said about her. It made her feel warm inside that her friend cared so much to break up with her boyfriend (that had lasted longer than all the others no less) over something he said about her. Ginny was glad that she had a friend that would protect her, in a strange way, from those stupid things being said by people.

_I'm sorry._ Was all Ginny wrote in response.

_Don't be. I was with him for too long anyway._

Ginny smiled and rolled her eyes at the typically Sarah response.

**oOoOo**

The rest of the day passed in a painfully numbing way. Ginny was all too aware of Harry's absence. She knew that if he had been there, she would have told him all about Sarah and what Josh said and asked him what he thought about it all. And then he would be there to comfort her, to explain everything in some way that would make the whole situation seem inconsequential. But as much as she missed him, she was able to get through her classes and her homework, eating dinner with Sarah and listening to her ramble on about Mary Greyson and Eric Brigham—again.

Ginny thought that perhaps Sarah wasn't as indifferent about the breakup as she had acted earlier.

Then the evening came. The time when she would work on the homework she hadn't done before dinner. The time when Harry would sit next to her and help. The time when they would talk during a break from her crazy plan to help distance herself from him by doing a ton of homework. Now that she looked back on it, she wondered what the hell she was thinking…trying to distance herself from him when she wanted anything but. The words she was attempting to read swam in front of her eyes, and she collected her things together and said an early goodnight to Sarah when she passed her on the way up the stairs. She calmly put her books away and changed into her pajamas, brushing her teeth afterwards. Then she made sure the dormitory door was closed, and charmed her bed curtains to block out all sound from the room, and to keep others from hearing her. She then proceeded to climb into bed and close the curtains. Finally completely isolated, she lay down and tried to bring up an image of Harry's face in her mind. She knew what he looked like, and she knew how his voice sounded, but when she tried to imagine him, all she got was a faint sense. Her mind couldn't bring him up in all his perfection. It was hard to hear his voice. There was a throbbing ache in her chest and all the pain and misery she had felt and suppressed throughout the day spread to her entire body. She trembled with sobs and only stopped because she cried herself into exhaustion.

**oOoOo**

It had been two days since Harry ran to the safety of Sirius's home. And it had been two days since Harry had done anything but lay on the couch in the living room and stare at the fire. He moved only when the fire would die, and a short flick of his hand would bring it roaring back to life. His time was spent completely engrossed in thought. He thought about everything: Ginny, the war, Voldemort, Ginny, the vampire army, what would happen if he returned to Hogwarts, Ginny, what he would do if he didn't return to Hogwarts, his family, Ginny, Adam and Jane going to France, what Ginny's blood would taste like, Tamah and Roger in the small apartment, Ginny, how long Sirius would let him stay there, whether or not he should leave Britain altogether, and Ginny…just to name a few things.

Caught up as he was, it was difficult not to hear Sirius when he came into the room. And as quiet and small as she was, Harry knew that Tamah was with him. How or why she was here took a minute for him to comprehend.

"I thought you said that you weren't going to talk to me until I 'came to my senses?'" he asked Sirius, imitating him perfectly.

"That's really creepy, you know," he said in reply. "And I just said I wasn't going to have that conversation with you. And I'm not. But you've wallowed enough. You haven't moved in two days! So I brought someone who can talk some sense into you." Sirius gently pushed Tamah forward and left the room.

"Adam and Jane are leaving tomorrow," she said sadly as she sat on his legs that were stretched across the sofa. "Are you going to say goodbye?"

"Of course I am," he replied, not looking at her.

"Are you going with them?"

The idea had never occurred to Harry to accompany them when they went to France, but he gave it some serious thought. He opened his mouth to say that he might, if Jane and Adam didn't mind, but something stopped him. If he said he would go, then that would mean that he couldn't stay in Britain…where Ginny was.

"No."

Tamah gave him a knowing look. "Then what are you going to do? You can't live on Sirius's sofa for much longer. Voldemort's getting stronger, he's getting more people. You need to prepare, to fight. You can't just ignore the prophecy, not when Voldemort won't."

Harry grimaced at Tamah's ending sentence and said in a low voice, "Sometimes…sometimes I really wish that he hadn't told me about the prophecy. It would all be much easier to deal with if I didn't know that I _had_ to deal with it, you know? And it's not even the full prophecy…he's going on bits and pieces."

"You'd still do everything the same, even if you didn't know about it," Tamah said assuredly. "It's who you are."

Harry wasn't sure where this conversation was going, but he didn't think it helpful to go into detail about what kind of person he was. He already knew what he was. A monster. Perhaps the thought wouldn't grate on his heart so much if he hadn't chosen to be like this. But he was given the choice, and he had become this willingly. A monster who had almost killed _her_. He didn't think he had ever hated himself as much as he did at that moment.

"I'm not making this any better, am I?" Tamah asked, more to herself than Harry. "I was quite surprised when I got a letter from Sirius, seeing as we had never met and everything, but he said you were in such a state after almost killing Ginny. I must admit, I am curious as to what happened to make you lose so much control that you ran."

Harry pursed his lips together.

"Things are always better after you talk about them," she encouraged. Harry remained silent and she sighed.

"Remember the story Mum used to tell you when you were little?" Tamah let out a small giggle. "When you asked her why she didn't want to eat you? Remember what she said?"

Harry only shrugged. He remembered the story, of course, it wasn't a perfect memory because Jane told it to him before he was turned, but he understood the point she had been trying to make. Tamah was having none of it. She started the story from the beginning.

"When that vampire decided that she was going to be his mate, he bit her, turning her into what she is today. At first, she accepted his way of life—hunting humans and joining in his delight for blood. But then the guilt set in. She started hunting less and soon she couldn't take a human life at all. So she tried to convince him to see things her way. He threatened to kill her, threatened to make eternity so miserable for her…but she wouldn't kill anymore. She knew that she didn't have it in her. Once her newborn instincts were lessened slightly by age, she hated herself for what she had done. And she hasn't taken a life since…and she's been exposed to vast amounts of blood. She's been able to resist. All because she knows that she _can_. Because she knows that blood represents life and if she drinks it, it's like swallowing that person's life. Do you see, Harry? Once you decide for yourself that there is no way that you could take Ginny's life away from her, no matter what the circumstances, then you'll have nothing to worry about." Tamah nodded like she had made her point—which she thought was a good one—and had nothing further to say.

"Don't you remember the end of the story? Where Mum runs away?"

"So she could have a better life on her own."

"I'm running away so Ginny can have a better life…on her own, away from me."

"You stubborn, stubborn boy! Can't you see? Ginny loves you! I know it, and you know it too! Now get up off of this sofa and go back to Hogwarts. Live your life…with Ginny. You know you don't have one without her." Tamah crossed her arms over her chest and glared down at Harry.

"It's not that easy," he said like he was talking to a small child. "We wouldn't be normal. She wouldn't understand why I do some of the things I do, and I'm not going to tell her and have her afraid of me for the rest of her life."

"She wouldn't be afraid of you. She'd accept you, just like Sirius did. Nothing you could tell her would scare her away."

"How sure are you about that?" Harry spat sarcastically.

"Oh…about a hundred and fourteen percent?"

"Just…give me some time to think."

"So you're going back?" Tamah asked excitedly.

Harry didn't answer and his thoughts flashed to the scene his mind conjured up. He would go back to Hogwarts and find Ginny in the common room, sitting on the couch that they always did, holding hands with some faceless and nameless boy, silently watching the fire burn. She'd hear the portrait open and see Harry walk in…and then turn back to the fire.

**oOoOo**

It was night time when Harry walked up to the castle. A day had passed since Tamah had visited him at Grimmauld Place, and he spent most of the time after that in deep concentration. He went and said goodbye to Adam and Jane before coming back. He had left out the past three days altogether when he told them of recent events, and they had departed in good spirits. Harry opened the front doors. Everything depended on Ginny now. He honestly didn't know how she would take everything that he was about to tell her, and he watched in his mind her different possible reactions. No one was in the halls as he sped through, reaching the Gryffindor tower in record time. He hoped the password was the same as it was before he left. He quietly muttered it to the Fat Lady, and the portrait thankfully swung open. The common room was empty, but it was so much more comforting than the drab of Sirius's house that Harry paused a moment to take in the room. He really did like it here, he had to admit to himself. He walked over to the girls' stairs and stopped. Would he be able to walk up them? He knew there was a ward of some sort on them that kept boys from going up, but would he even be considered by the ward seeing as he wasn't human? He seriously contemplated going up them, but knew he didn't have enough knowledge of wards to do so without running the risk of being heard, which was the last thing he wanted right now. So he went to the window in the common room and opened it up, climbing out onto the ledge and then onto the stones. He skillfully maneuvered until he reached the window that he knew was the one that would lead into the seventh year girls' dorm. He opened it magically and jumped in gracefully, landing silently on the floor. He immediately knew which bed Ginny was in and went to it. The curtains were pulled tight and Harry stood, unmoving, trying to hear the sound of her breathing, but he couldn't hear anything. He knew she was in there; he could smell her tantalizing scent easily. It filled his senses and the usual craving to taste her blood came, but there was something else with it…a feeling he'd never noticed before. Once he got past his instinctive reaction, he realized that he loved the way she smelled. And he had missed it. He had missed her…so much.

He waved his hand over the bed and saw that she had put up a silencing charm. It was probably for the best that he left it up, what with this whole confession thing he was going to try. He couldn't see it being taken silently by Ginny, no matter how well she took it. So he pulled the curtain aside and found her lying on her side, facing him. Her red hair was splayed on the pillow and her pale face was streaked with tear marks. Now that he was inside the charm, he heard her uneven, irregular breathing. He was painfully aware of the obvious and almost sure that he had caused it. He stepped up onto the bed and tightly closed the curtain behind him, casting a sticking charm so no one would be able to just pull open the curtains. He stepped lightly over her legs and sat down next to her. She was asleep, but restlessly so. As if she knew he was there, she rolled over and her arm came out, reaching. Harry hesitated a split second and then lay down on the bed, positioning his arm so her grasping one would touch his hand. It did, and he felt her warm fingers clasp around his and he had the sudden urge to pull her small, frail body to his and never let go. Instead, he took his other hand and gently stroked her face, trying to ignore how close he was to her blood.

"Ginny?" he whispered softly, close to her ear. He hated waking her up in the middle of the night, but he needed to do this now, before he lost all resolve.

"Gin?" he asked again, and her eyes opened, widened, and then shut. She started shaking and she took her hand off of Harry's. He smelled the saline of her tears and was horrified at the thought that she was crying.

"Ginny?" he asked, alarmed now. "Please, please wake up." He hoped that she was just crying in her sleep over some nightmare that she was having.

She opened her now wet eyes and brought her knees up to her chest, drawing herself into a ball. She didn't close her eyes again. Instead, she stared at him, stared like he was some mythical creature that had come to harm her. Which, Harry thought, he was.

"I'm sorry Ginny," he said, his voice a little louder than his previous whisper. She just stared.

"I—I'm sorry I left. I was being…selfish, I guess. But I truly was thinking of you. Trying to keep you safe. I—this...isn't the right way to...I don't know how to tell you…" he trailed off, watching her face. Harry didn't speak for a moment, and brought his hand up to stroke her face again. Ginny closed her eyes and smiled lightly.

"I left because…because I wanted to kill you." As soon as the words were out of his mouth Harry wanted to smack himself for his stupidity. If there was one thing that would make her run away, it was that statement right there. Harry quickly removed his hand from her face and Ginny's eyes popped open and looked straight into Harry's. He hastily amended himself.

"No! I mean…I didn't _want_ to. I don't want to hurt you. That's why I left, to save you from myself. From what I am. I didn't think coming to Hogwarts was going to be that hard…but then here you are. I've battled with myself every day, ever since I saw…well I suppose smelled…you at that joke shop. Never before had I experienced a pull for blood like I did that day. Never—even when I was first turned into…into a…vampire. And I know that it was really stupid for me to leave, especially without telling you why. But you must understand, I came back…yes, but I think that it was even more stupid to come back than it was to leave. I'm putting you in danger by just being alive…and now you'll be risking your life every time we're in the same room. So I'm giving you the opportunity to say no. It doesn't even have to be an implicit no…I'm actually pretty prepared for you to go running and screaming out of the dormitory and straight to Dumbledore. He knows, by the way, so if you're looking for dramatic effect or whatnot—which you probably aren't, because I know you—then you should probably go tell someone else. They've probably noticed I'm a bit off, so it might not take too much to convince them. Either way, just give me some sign and I'll disappear. You'll never see or hear from me again. You'll never be in danger, from me at least. But before you make your decision, just know that I couldn't live with seeing you dead, whether it was by my hand or not. I can't kill you. I love you." And he ended his long, hushed and hurried ramble and removed his hand from hers, where he had placed it sometime during his speech. He couldn't remember putting it there.

The silence stretched on. Harry could hear Ginny's heart beat and each breath she took. They were the only two sounds in the silenced bed.

"Don't leave!" she exclaimed suddenly, crawling over to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. "Please don't leave," she said more wearily than before.

"You don't want me to leave?" Harry asked confused. He was worried and delighted at her closeness. "But…I just confessed to being a vampire and…and wanting to _drink your blood_."

"I don't care. I don't care," she mumbled over and over into his chest, in which her face was pressed. "I love you." It came out in just a whisper, but Harry heard it without effort. "Please stay," she begged him.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked. "You did hear what I said earlier right?"

"I don't care," she replied back, bringing herself closer to him. "I don't care."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to review. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get this out, but I just didn't really want to write. I didn't get to the point that I had wanted with this chapter, but I realized when I actually started typing that it would take me more than 12,000 words to reach it, so I figured this was as good a stopping point as any. And I felt bad for not updating. (Oh! And if something doesn't make sense or you think I didn't go into enough detail or whatever, tell me and I'll try to fix it so it's better) And with that I give you…**

**Chapter 6: Betrayal**

Ginny was acutely aware of two things when she woke up. One was that she was freezing cold. The other happened to be lying next to her, stroking her hair that was spread out over the pillow. She didn't think that Harry had ever looked better than he did right then, early in the morning, next to her. She smiled sleepily at him and shivered. Then she remembered why she was cold. She watched the memory of him almost… she gulped, but she inched closer to where he was laying. He gently placed his hand on her arm and she jerked involuntarily from the cold. Harry looked crestfallen but unsurprised.

"I knew you weren't in your right mind when I told you last night," he started without preamble. "I'm sorry. I'll… go." He said it with hesitation, though, however slight it was.

"No, I'm fine. Really. Don't go." This request did not have the desperation that it had had the night before. It instead was meant to convince him of her mentality, and how she was perfectly okay. She wasn't sure exactly how she could be fine, given the circumstances, but it wasn't hard to accept as long as she didn't really think about it. It was one of those repression techniques she had perfected.

"You don't look fine," Harry stated, moving closer to the opposite edge of the bed.

"I'm just cold, that's all," she admitted reluctantly. She didn't want to make him feel

any worse than he obviously already did.

"Oh crap. I completely forgot," he said as he waved his hand over her. She felt a rush of warmth envelop her skin and the feeling came back into her toes. "Is that better?" he questioned her.

"Yes. Much better," Ginny replied, moving towards him again. He had stayed the night with her. The thought warmed her even more than the charm had. She had so many questions about him, she didn't know where to start. Was she even allowed to ask questions?

"Harry?" she started timidly.

"Hm?" he sounded, his hand and eyes tracing her palm. Ginny tried to ignore the tingling and focus on everything she needed and wanted to say.

"So you were serious, last night, about being a…" she trailed off, not wanting to say the actual word.

"A vampire?" Harry finished for her, almost jokingly. "Yes, I was serious."

"But that doesn't make any sense."

"Why not?" he questioned curiously as his hand slowly made its way to her wrist.

"Because… um," Ginny shook her head and tried to think. "Because vampires don't come out during the day. They…" She couldn't finish her thought as Harry's hand went to her forearm. But it stopped suddenly and he withdrew it completely.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"Nothing," he replied as he turned his body slightly away from her.

"You can't keep doing that, you know," she informed him. "If whatever this is," she gestured between the two of them, "is going to work, then you need to tell me these things so I can help you."

"I don't want to scare you," he told her, but rolled back over to face her.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "I'm still here aren't I? I think I can handle it."

He looked at the curtains behind her as he spoke. "Your heart's beating faster."

It took a moment for the comment to click, but when it did, another barrage of questions came rushing forward to Ginny's thoughts.

"Then how can you still stand to be so near?"

"I'm… not sure. It was really bad when I first came to see you, but now it's lessened exponentially. It's like I'm getting used to you almost."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"That's a very good thing."

"But how can you stand to be around people at all?" she wondered.

"They don't smell nearly as..." Harry cringed, "as good as you."

"You know, I think I'm going to take that as a compliment," Ginny said optimistically.

Harry didn't look happy at her comment. "Your roommates will be wondering where you are. I should go."

"I don't like that idea," Ginny replied, frowning. Harry appeared not to have heard her.

"I'll meet you downstairs for breakfast?" Harry asked her hopefully.

She sighed. "Of course."

And just like that, he was gone. Her curtains didn't even move. She had no idea how he did that, and it was rather frightening to think that someone like that was walking around the school. What if there were more of them? Harry had mentioned he had a family that had adopted him… Ginny got ready for the day and spent the entire process in worry that the others out there—because there had to be others—would not be like Harry.

oOo

Harry and Ginny were late to breakfast. When they walked in, most of the student body was finishing up. It was amazing to Ginny how little amount of time it took for the entire hall to turn and stare at them. Of course, Harry had disappeared for three days without a trace, and rumors had been circulating, but she had thought at least some people would have a little respect. Instead, all eyes followed them as one as they quickly found an empty place at the Gryffindor table. Ginny grabbed whatever food was nearest and started eating. Harry just watched silently. Ginny didn't like the fact that neither of them was talking, but she didn't know what to say. She still had so many unanswered questions, but knew this was not the place to say anything out of the ordinary. She glanced down the table and saw Sarah sitting with Jeremy, a quiet sixth year Gryffindor who Ginny had never talked to before.

After Sarah had broken up with Josh, she had spent most of her time with Ginny, who was extremely grateful for her friend's support throughout those embarrassing and pathetic three days. It was impossible to look back on those days and not wonder what was wrong with her. But then again, she reasoned, she had Harry here beside her now, and things always looked different with him around. She knew that if he ever left again without explaining why, she'd be in exactly the same condition. She hated it, yet at the same time she'd rather risk it and have Harry with her now than never to have met him. But now that she knew, not only was she risking her heart, but her life as well.

Trying not to think about that, she waved at Sarah who waved back and motioned with her eyes to Jeremy. Ginny was astonished, because Jeremy was exactly the kind of guy that Sarah never dated. Intelligent, responsible, and most of all… respectable. He really seemed like a great guy from what Ginny had seen and heard of him. Not to say that all of Sarah's previous boyfriends were so horrible, they just weren't anything compared to Jeremy. So Ginny smiled and nodded, trying as subtly but as forcefully as possible to encourage Sarah in whatever pursuit she was following.

She watched as Sarah started packing up and then checked her watch. The bell was about to ring, so she shoved the last of her breakfast in her mouth and stood up. Harry, who had been reading some Muggle newspaper, immediately got up and followed her out of the Great Hall.

The walk to Transfiguration was awkward, at least for Ginny. She didn't know what to make of them now. They were friends… but more. Something unspoken had passed between them last night, but she didn't know what the boundaries were, and was certainly not going to press her luck to find out. Hopefully Harry would let her know somehow. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and found him looking at her. His eyebrows were creased as if he was frustrated. Then his face cleared and he looked forward again. Ginny wished he'd just tell her what he was thinking about. They were walking up the stairs when she felt something cool surround her hand. Her cheeks became warm and she turned and smiled at Harry. His eyes were careful, and he was holding her hand like he was afraid he'd break it. She squeezed slightly and tried not to show how much the simple gesture was affecting her.

oOo

Ginny was in a state of elation the rest of the day, not even the piles of homework she was assigned could break her spirit. The only slight bump in her happiness was when Harry pulled his usual disappearing act during lunch and dinner. She didn't know why she hoped it'd be different. She resolved herself to find out exactly how he could spend every day and evening in the library. But for the time being, his disappearance gave her a chance to see Sarah and Jeremy interact. They were already seated when Harry left her at the doors to the Great Hall, and she made her way down the aisle toward them, drawing a few stares and whispers along the way. She pretended they were talking about someone else.

"Hey," Ginny greeted when she reached the couple.

"Hey Ginny. This is Jeremy," Sarah introduced.

Jeremy smiled politely at Ginny and said hello. So far, so good.

"Potions any better today?" Ginny asked, already knowing the answer.

"Not one bit," Sarah replied, taking a bite out of her sandwich. "We didn't get much homework, surprisingly enough. So I guess there was a slight improvement from usual."

"I'd say a bit more than slight," Jeremy said. "I spend hours each night doing those stupid essays and I never score higher than an A. I think I'm just not going to try on the next essay. It's short, so I'll just write it using the information in the textbook."

"He's not going to like that," Sarah told him. "At least do some research. That way it'll look like you cared a bit more, and maybe it'll get you a higher grade."

"Maybe, but he hates us all anyway. I'm surprised I got this far. I'm surprised _any_ of us got this far. I thought he would've had us all expelled by fifth year. But here I am, taking the advanced class."

"I didn't think I'd make it past first year. It was a horrible way to start out my first day of wizarding school," Sarah said in retrospect.

Ginny was tired of listening to them go on about Snape and Potions, and the mention of the library had put her in a rather glum mood. Sure, Harry had told her his "big" secret, she supposed she should call it, but there was so much more that he hadn't told her that she wondered—in the end—if all the little secrets would outweigh the large one.

When lunch finally came to a close, Ginny had come to two conclusions: she and Harry needed to sit down and have a very serious discussion about everything, and Jeremy was utterly boring. So much so that Ginny had half a mind to pull Sarah aside and ask her if she had gotten enough sleep the night before, or done anything else that might have impaired her judgment today. Of course, she didn't, and Harry met her in the hallway halfway to Defense so as to remove all reasonable openings of talking to Sarah. Not that Ginny minded in the least… he was holding her hand again.

oOo

The day passed and the evening came. Most of Gryffindor was in the tower, lounging about in the common room or hanging out in the dorms. Harry, Ginny, and Sarah were all seated around a table covered with books, parchment, quills, and ink. Sarah was scribbling furiously on her parchment and mumbling to herself. Ginny was trying to concentrate on her Transfiguration text—they had a test soon—but kept getting distracted. Harry was conspicuously not busy and glancing at Ginny constantly. He had been staring at her outright for at least three minutes when Ginny finally had enough. She knew her cheeks were red from the attention, not to mention she felt a bit warm. If that wasn't enough, the table wasn't that large so they were all pretty close together. All of those factors added up, Ginny didn't want to tempt Harry any more than her simple presence did.

"Stop that," she breathed, softly enough that Sarah wouldn't be able to hear even with her close proximity. Somehow, she knew he could hear her, and it was confirmed when he gave her a questioning look.

"You're staring," she whispered again.

Harry looked down for a moment, almost embarrassed at being caught, but then looked back up and shrugged his shoulders with an expression that said, "So what?"

His back suddenly became rigid and his eyes shot to the corner where a group of sixth and seventh years were seated. It seemed to Ginny that they were just doing homework because of all the books and parchment, and having conversations as they did so. She couldn't actually hear what they were saying, but Harry obviously could and did not seem to like it one bit. His eyes narrowed in their direction and his fist clenched into a ball. Ginny was scared that he was going to do something that'd get him in major trouble, so she tried to get his attention.

"Harry," she said normally. "Could you help me with this one problem? I'm completely stuck."

No response.

"Harry?" she asked him, slightly louder. She watched his hand unclench and she thought she had won. Then it started moving towards his pocket, where his wand was. Ginny sighed exasperatedly and took hold of his hand that was nearest her and tugged on his arm.

"What is it?" Her voice was softer now and he looked away from them.

"Lies."

"Well that's no reason to go hexing anyone," Ginny told him.

"About you."

"Ah."

"Because of me."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Oh please. They're just jealous. It doesn't matter anyway. I know the truth, you know the truth, we all know that the stuff they're saying isn't true, so who cares?"

"I care. They're talking bad about you."

"If it's the same stuff that was going around earlier, they're not exactly being nice to you either."

"It doesn't matter what students think of me."

"And you think it matters to me?"

"It should. They should respect you. You're a wonderful person and don't deserve to be talked about like that."

"But it doesn't matter what they say about you?"

"No."

"That hardly seems fair. I should be able to care just as less as you do."

Harry didn't respond and Ginny felt triumphant.

"What are they saying?" Sarah asked the two of them with innocent curiosity, as if she—the gossip queen—did not already know. Ginny didn't know what she was getting at by bringing it up, and wasn't in the mood to help her along.

"Just stuff," Ginny replied vaguely and turned back to her homework. She could feel Harry looking at her again but didn't bother to try and stop him. Sarah shuffled some papers around and Ginny heard a textbook thump closed.

"I agree with Harry," Sarah said, breaking the moment of silence. Harry and Ginny both looked at her with surprise. "I mean, you should care that people are spreading lies about you. Especially since most of them know you and probably don't believe it themselves. Of course, there are some who do…" she trailed off and glared angrily around the room at nothing in particular. "I'm going to bed," she announced, gathering up her work with rapidity and walking up the stairs to the dorms. Ginny and Harry sat stunned at her quick monologue and departure.

Ginny wondered at Sarah's slightly off behavior, and owed it to the fact that she was still upset with Josh. The degree to which she had agreed with Harry bothered Ginny also. She wondered if there were other rumors going around that Sarah did not want to share with her. Ginny guessed she was trying to protect her, as if she couldn't handle a few lies. Which reminded her…

"Harry?" She made a full sweep of the room with her eyes to see if anyone was near enough to overhear. The coast looked clear.

"Yeah?" he answered. He turned his body to face her, giving her his full attention. Ginny loved it.

"I was… um… thinking that maybe we should… talk."

"Talk? You mean like, have a conversation?"

"Well, yeah."

"I assumed that was what this was."

"Very funny," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "But seriously, I mean _talk_."

Harry didn't need any clarification. He had probably known what was coming as soon as the word was out of her mouth. Instead of looking shifty or guilty or any other negative emotion, Ginny was slightly taken aback at the small smile on his face.

"I was thinking tonight," she suggested, excited about his response. His face lost the

smile and was replaced with a more strained look.

"It can't be tonight," Harry said, his voice tinted with sadness.

"Why not?" Ginny challenged.

"Because it will take a while and… there are some things that you'll just have to see for yourself." He paused and Ginny let what he was telling her sink in. She let her imagination at all the possibilities of what he had to tell her. She wondered if she'd hear about his life before Hogwarts, his family (now that he didn't have to edit), and most importantly: himself.

"How about this weekend?" she heard him ask.

"Okay."

Harry seemed relieved at her easy acceptance.

oOo

Ginny made her way up to bed not long afterward, her hand tingly and cool from where Harry had been holding it. He stood up with her and wished her pleasant dreams and she had wanted to just hold him so badly that she took one step forward, closing the distance between them. But he had hung his head and taken a step back.

"I'm sorry," had been his only words, but there was so much pain and frustration poured into them that Ginny felt—not for the first time—how unfair this whole situation was.

Sarah had gotten back into her usual cheery mood by the time Ginny had gotten ready for bed, and there was an unspoken agreement not to talk about the rumors going around.

"So," Sarah started off, closing the curtains around Ginny's bed and sitting cross-legged in front of her. "I saw him holding your hand today! What was that about?"

"I'm not quite sure yet," Ginny replied honestly.

"When will you be sure?"

"This weekend."

"You sound… confident."

"I am," Ginny told her.

"Why?"

"We're going to talk about everything."

"And does Harry know this?"

"Of course he does. He's the one who suggested this weekend."

"That's good. That he would want to do that, I mean." She paused momentarily. "Do you like Jeremy?" Sarah asked, completely changing the conversation.

"He seems nice," Ginny answered hesitantly. "Why?"

"He's different than the other ones," Sarah said. She sounded confused, as if she couldn't figure out why.

"Well, obviously."

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked obliviously.

"He's intelligent and respectful, and he seems to me to be the kind of person that would be in a relationship for the long haul, I guess you could say," Ginny replied. "All the others were just… I don't know… your way of passing the time maybe?"

"Hm," Sarah said noncommittally. "But we're so different, I don't see how it would work."

"Different how?" Ginny already had a list formed in her head that would easily answer the question, but she wanted to know what Sarah was thinking.

"He doesn't like gossip."

"Neither do I," Ginny said simply.

oOo

Harry didn't know when he had been happier, which led him to believe that he had never been this happy. With Ginny he could almost pretend that he was just a normal Hogwarts student—perhaps older than all of them—but ordinary enough. To everyone, Harry Stewart was just another guy. Maybe many thought it suspicious that he only spent his time with Ginny, didn't talk much, and always knew the answers but never studied, but he knew they'd never guess the truth. And even if they did, he'd probably know it before they did. He could pick through their thoughts before they became actual connections. Not that he spent a lot of time going through the minds of the other students, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He was especially glad of this when he did a scan of the Slytherin table during breakfast that Friday morning. One of the seventh years, Malcolm Dunsine, had just been informed by his father the previous evening of Voldemort's secret weapon: vampires. His mind had not jumped to Harry yet, but he knew that it was only a matter of time. Malcolm was a nasty piece of work, but he wasn't stupid. Harry was more concerned about how his father found out, though. Voldemort didn't exactly go around announcing things like that to just anyone. In fact, most of his Inner Circle didn't even know they existed. Malcolm was under strict orders from his father not to mention a word of this to anyone, and Harry knew that he didn't plan on ignoring those instructions. So hopefully when he did realize what Harry was, he would keep his mouth shut anyway. And if he started thinking about opening it, Harry would inform him exactly why he would want to keep it shut.

Aurora had sent him a letter which he read while Ginny ate her breakfast. It was slightly longer than usual, expressing in a vague and obscure way concern about Jane and Adam's well-being while in France. They had not contacted anyone since they left, but Harry thought it was a little early to be getting worried. But Harry knew that, even though Aurora said she was coming to Hogwarts that night, she would not bring up Jane and Adam at all. Her reference to them in the letter was Aurora's way of saying she wanted to talk about them. He'd have to ask her about Malcolm and his father while she was here. Maybe Voldemort had found someone that was just as evil and ruthless as him, and that was how he had risen in the ranks so quickly.

For the rest of the day, Harry scanned his mind every time he saw Malcolm in the halls. He was still so caught up with what his father had told him that he hadn't even realized that there were others, others that didn't work for Voldemort.

On these quick passes Harry began to notice something odd: it took more effort to read what Malcolm was thinking than it did on other people. Harry finally realized that Malcolm had an Occlumency shield. Impressed, Harry decided that there was more to Malcolm than met the eye—or what was seen in his surface thoughts.

That evening Harry could tell that Ginny was on edge. She couldn't apply herself to one thing. Her homework lay abandoned on the table and the book she had been trying to read was splayed, cover up, on the couch cushion beside her. Harry himself was passing the time by talking with Sarah about the Transfiguration test that they had taken that morning. Ginny would occasionally glare at Harry, and each time he would pretend not to see. He knew that she considered Friday night the weekend, but he was still unsure whether or not he really wanted to cause her any more undue stress by talking with her tonight. He was leaving in a few hours to go see Aurora anyway, and the conversation was not going to be nicely wrapped up in that kind of a time slot. It was amusing, though, to watch her in her frustrated state of mind. Harry would let a smile slip here or there without knowing it, and Ginny would see and go back to glaring at him outright. Sarah wasn't ignorant of Ginny's behavior, but had the decency enough to not get involved. Sarah and Harry reached the last essay question, and only briefly discussed their answers. Sarah excused herself shortly after, and headed out of the portrait hole to meet Jeremy, even though it was after curfew.

"So," Ginny started, moving the book she had put on the couch so she could sit right next to Harry. "Now that we're alone," she whispered, moving closer to him, "and it's the weekend," she continued, grabbing his hand, "I want what you promised me."

"And what would that be?" Harry asked conversationally. He smiled at her and closed his fingers around hers. She smelled like flowers and his mouth watered. Disgusted at himself, his smile turned into a scowl.

"The _whole_ story," she whispered dramatically and then laughed. It was short-lived however, and Harry wished she would keep laughing. It made the whole situation seem less serious. And… well, he just really liked to listen to her laugh.

"Tomorrow."

Ginny pursed her lips together and glared. "Right now is a perfectly good time."

A thought occurred to Harry. "Okay," he complied. "But not here."

"Where?" Ginny asked excitedly. Her eyes were bright and open. Harry had to pause to think.

"I suppose anywhere is fine. A classroom? You can use the Map to make sure you don't get caught. Just wait until no one is in the common room."

"What about you?"

"Just pick a classroom, I'll come right after you."

She gave him an dubious look. "How will you know which classroom I pick?"

"Don't worry," he laughed. "I'll find you."

She didn't look convinced, but went upstairs anyway. It wasn't long before the common room cleared and Harry heard her footsteps on the stairs. Her heart was beating slightly faster than normal and she was walking quicker down the stairs than she usually did.

"I'll be right behind you," he told her right before she left the room. She smiled and left, the portrait questioning her about where she was going. Harry heard the Fat Lady muttering about "that girl's late night activities" before she finally became quiet. Harry had found out from Ginny that she liked to visit the kitchens late at night, sometimes bringing Sarah along with her. What the Fat Lady thought she got up to, Harry didn't want to even guess.

He waited to a few minutes to make sure that Ginny had found an empty classroom, and then left the common room so fast that the Fat Lady didn't even see him. He followed Ginny's scent and stopped once he was outside the classroom he knew she was in. It had taken him less than ten seconds. He opened the door and found Ginny standing in a darkened corner, wand in hand.

"That was quick," she said disbelievingly.

Harry smirked and sat down on top of one of the desks. The familiarity of the situation was very apparent when Ginny sat down on one facing him.

"So I decided that I want to tell you where I'm going tonight," Harry started off. Ginny seemed willing to accept any kind of information he offered. She nodded her head and leaned forward so slightly that Harry didn't think she was aware of doing it.

"I'm going to meet Aurora in the Forbidden Forest…" And he told her. He told her about Aurora and how she was spying on Voldemort (leaving out the vampires for the moment) and how he had joined the Order and was giving them Aurora's information. To end it, he swore her to secrecy, which he knew wasn't necessary but felt it was a good way to impress upon her the importance of all of this.

"Mum and Dad are in the Order," she told him. "So I've heard of it before. They just don't tell me anything. Actually, I think they've only mentioned it twice. They leave the house for meetings but won't even tell me where they're going."

"Headquarters. Sirius's house in London. Dumbledore put a Fidelous Charm on it plus some more wards so it's extremely secure."

"I suppose that's a good idea. Will I get to meet Sirius?"

"Of course you will." Harry didn't think he looked guilty when he said that, but Ginny asked him what was wrong with her meeting his godfather.

"Remember when I told you about him? Remember how I didn't exactly tell you his last name?"

Ginny looked like she just now realized she didn't know Sirius's last name. "What is it?"

Harry prepared for the onslaught of questions. "Black."

Ginny shrugged her shoulders and shook her head slightly. "So what? Black. Sirius Black… oh. _Sirius Black_." She paused and looked at him. "Harry!" she exclaimed. "Sirius Black! Do you _know_ what he did? He killed twelve people!"

"No he didn't. Peter Pettigrew killed them." Harry glanced at his watch. It was nearing twelve-thirty, but he didn't want to leave Ginny hanging. So he quickly explained how Peter, Sirius, his father, and Remus Lupin had been friends. He revealed Remus to be a werewolf and the rest to be Animagus. He told her how his parents had gone into hiding because of Voldemort, putting their home under the Fidelous. Peter had been their Secret Keeper, though they told everyone that it was Sirius. Peter sold them out to Voldemort though, and Sirius tried to kill Peter once he realized what had happened. But Peter was ready and blew up the street and turned into a rat, disappearing while Sirius was hauled away.

"How… how do you know all of this?" Ginny asked astonished.

"Sirius told me a lot of it," Harry replied. "But I first found out about Peter when I met him. He was with Voldemort the day he found us in Russia and he was surprised at how much I looked like my dad, which reminded him of why I didn't have one, and that led to his part in my parents murder."

"Did he just tell you all this?"

"Oh… no. I um… I can sort of read minds. Have you ever heard of Legilimency?"

"Yeah. So you can tell what anyone's thinking anytime?"

"No. I have to be pretty close, and it helps a lot to look into their eyes. Especially if they know Occlumency."

"So you know what I'm thinking?" She didn't sound pleased with the idea.

"I could if I wanted to, but I don't look into your mind."

"But you do everyone else?"

"Not to the extent that you probably think I do. Many of the teachers know Occulumency really well and would be able to tell if I was trying to break into their minds. And most of the students don't think about anything important. But I keep an eye on the Slytherins and a few other students, too. Just in case they learn anything. Like today. Malcolm Dunsine—he's a seventh year Slytherin, I don't know if you know him—his father told him about vampires and know I'm just waiting for him to make the connection to me."

"You think he will?"

"Oh I know he will."

"Aren't you worried?" Ginny asked in a voice that told she would now worry enough for the both of them.

"No. I'm pretty certain that he's not going to make any trouble for me. Well, at school. And it's not like he can do much damage elsewhere either. So I think I'm safe."

"I don't think so. I mean, what does he have to lose by exposing you?" Ginny questioned.

Harry smiled menacingly. "His life."

Ginny shuddered.

oOo

Harry left after making sure Ginny got safely back to the common room. It was a cloudy night and even Hogwarts had no light to shine into the black. It didn't bother Harry, though, and he was able to quickly navigate his way through the forest to see Aurora. She was standing unmoving when he reached her. Their greetings were short and Aurora confessed that she didn't have that much news to share. She told him how Voldemort was still expanding his army, and Joseph would have a new person every couple of days to "train." She still couldn't find out what they actually did with everyone once they had adjusted somewhat to their new life. Harry wished he could save all of those that were being taken by Voldemort, but even Aurora said it was impossible. Voldemort told them only minutes before they had to leave, and Aurora wouldn't be able to tell Harry in time. There was also the chance that Joseph would start to suspect something. But when Voldemort attacked out in the open, Harry threw all of his efforts into stopping it.

Aurora didn't mention Jane or Adam, and Harry was about to bring them up when he realized something. For one that is usually unconcerned with the affairs of others, Aurora had presently been worried about Jane and Adam and had also come to see Harry when there wasn't any immediate danger. That told Harry one thing: she was feeling guilty. Whether she consciously knew this or not, her actions spoke volumes and Harry knew he had to confront her about it.

"I'm going to ask you a question, and I need you to tell me the truth," Harry said forcefully to Aurora. She looked at him alarmed and crossed her arms.

"Why?"

"Just answer the question," he told her. "How many?" His tone was more hesitant now.

"How many what?" Aurora asked him innocently. Harry didn't believe her for a second.

"How many people?"

"I still don't think I understand."

"How do you want me to phrase the question? Hm? Since you met Joseph, how many people have you killed for their blood?"

Aurora didn't say anything and Harry glowered at her.

"That's what I thought. I'm surprised the others didn't catch on the other day. Your eyes had red in them. They must have all been concerned about France. But not you apparently. No… you're not concerned about anything besides your own selfish pursuits. They—we—have tried so hard to be where we are today. They had to fight through so much to be almost human. To be humane. They _care_ about what they are. They want to change and yet they know it's not possible. So they do what they can and resist being monsters. Are we really not worth that much to you? That you would turn your back on what is right at the first opportunity? Why did you even stay if you really don't give a damn about the family? Because I had thought, ever since I met the family, I had thought that you were included. But apparently you don't see yourself as part of the family, because if you did, you would never want to do something like this. Something that would hurt them…us… so much. Especially Tamah."

Aurora had been silent through Harry's rant, but her expression turned pained at Tamah's name and she opened her mouth to speak.

"No, you don't understand. Joseph… he wanted me to."

"So he told you to kill them?"

"Well, no. But I wouldn't have been able to stay with him without drinking. They live off of blood. They were just street scum who weren't going to do anything except be a drain on society."

"They have the right to their own lives."

"I think it's kind of like sacrificing some… isn't it? I mean, if by killing them I stay with Joseph and find out something that could save hundreds of lives, isn't that a price that we should pay?"

"We're not the ones paying it! Those people you killed are. Those people who had family, friends, lives."

"Harry, please understand—"

"No! I can't understand! I can't understand how you would kill someone for their blood. How you can look a person in the eye and decide that they are going to be the one to die. I don't… I don't know… I don't think that you should be here. You need to leave. Now."

"Harry—"

"No. I don't want you near Ginny. I don't want you near anyone. But I will give you time to come to your senses. But don't bother coming back here until you've finally figured out that you're not God."

"You need me!" Aurora pleaded desperately. "You need to know what's going on! What will happen! More people will die if I don't tell you anything!"

"Then the blood will be on your hands, now won't it?"

And with that, Harry left like a light breeze through the thick forest. He ran and ran until he realized the only place he wanted to be was with Ginny.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

**A/N: I felt bad about not updating for a while so I tried to type it out as fast as I could. So I have an assignment for you guys: after reading the chapter (and therefore the talk between Harry and Ginny) tell me what you think. If there's something I should have put in, tell me. I'm sure I missed something vital, but it's hard to look at my own work objectively, especially at 12:30 at night. Thank you to those who reviewed, and since chapter 7 is typed already, expect another update soon! Enjoy. **

**Chapter 7: Conversations**

Saturday had arrived. Ginny scrambled to get ready as soon as her eyes were open. There was absolutely no time to spare for lying in bed daydreaming. Besides, there was no need to daydream when all she had to do was walk down the stairs to the common room. She pulled on jeans and a sweatshirt, throwing her hair up in a ponytail. It was finally the weekend. She hummed happily as she tied her shoes and checked her reflection in the mirror. Well, she thought, there's no need to look nice. She let her mind dwell on putting on something a little prettier than an old sweatshirt, but was too lazy. She couldn't see Harry caring what she wore anyway.

Ginny practically skipped down the stairs in her glee. Today was the day she was going to know everything! Perhaps not everything, but a great deal more than she knew right now. But where would they discuss it all? The common room was not an option and it was way too cold to go outside for any prolonged length of time… Maybe another classroom? Ginny was so lost in her ponderings that she ran right into Harry at the bottom of the stairs. Usually he was sitting on the sofa when she came down, so the change in routine threw her slightly. He didn't say anything at first, just wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her close. Ginny had never felt more loved. She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but she knew it was longer than they ever had before. Harry was acting differently than normal, but Ginny certainly wasn't going to complain.

"Good morning, Gin," he finally mumbled into her hair. Ginny couldn't form the words to answer him back. He didn't seem to notice. Time stretched on and she became more and more aware of his hands on her back, her hands around his neck, his breath on her face. He smelled wonderful.

But eventually he pulled away and Ginny announced she was ready to go to breakfast.

"We're going to be really early," Harry replied. "Most of the school is still asleep."

"I don't care. We—I—can grab something to eat and then…" she trailed off suggestively.

Harry simply smiled and led the way out of the portrait hole, taking her hand in his once she was through.

Ginny didn't know what it was about that morning, but she just could not chew her food fast enough. Harry told her several times to slow down, so she must have been chewing faster than she thought. Harry would have to see her brother Ron eat sometime. He'd put her to shame. Ginny wondered when Harry would get to meet her family, then realized he probably already had, being in the Order and all. 

"Have you met my family?" Ginny asked after swallowing a bit.

"Yeah, a while ago actually at my first Order meeting," he said in a soft voice. "And I talk to Ron a lot after the meetings. Him and his fiancée are really nice. I've talked to your parents a couple of times and your twin brothers too. I saw Percy once, but never got to say hi."

"That's good, I guess. It'll spare the more awkward moments of when I actually introduce you to them as..."

"Your boyfriend," he finished for her.

"I suppose that's what I'll have to call you."

"Were you thinking of something else?" Harry asked.

"Calling you my boyfriend seems, I don't know, inadequate or demeaning or something," Ginny told him shyly. "But that's definitely what you're going to be introduced as. I can only imagine what the twins are going to do to me. And you for that matter. Oh I hope my parents don't think you're too old for me. You are in the Order and all, and they probably assume you're already out of school. This is going to take some explaining. Darn it."

"Would it help things if you introduced me as Harry Potter? Take the attention away from the fact that we're dating?"

"No!" Ginny said rather loudly in the almost silent hall. A couple of heads turned towards them. "No," she said more quietly. "That would be more humiliating than introducing you as… I don't know… my one-and-only-soulmate-who-I-never-want-to-be-without-because-I-would-die."

Harry smiled and asked, "And why would it be humiliating to tell them I'm Harry Potter?"

Ginny covered her face with her hands, hating the way this conversation was going.

"You can't laugh," she instructed from under her fingers.

"Is it that bad?"

"Promise."

"Fine. I won't laugh," Harry conceded.

"And I better not hear a word of this ever again."

"Now that I'm not promising. But tell me anyway," he encouraged, pulling her fingers away from her face and pleaded with his eyes.

"You shouldn't be allowed to do that," Ginny muttered and took a deep breath. "When I was little I used to listen… to… the story—your story, I suppose—of how you… defeated You-Know-Who when you were a baby. I practically worshipped you since the time I could understand what any of it meant. My brothers still tease me about it."

"You worshipped me?" Harry asked in a teasing voice, his face stretched with a wide smile.

"You promised you wouldn't laugh!" Ginny complained.

"I'm not laughing, just having fun."

Ginny harrumphed and crossed her arms. "I'm done," she stated.

"Well then, my little worshipper, I suppose it's time we should leave."

"Leave to where?" Ginny asked, her previous embarrassment gone in the light of Harry's confession.

"Ah, but it is a secret. Follow me." And he stood up and lead the way out of the Great Hall, clasping his hand around hers once she caught up with him. He lead her up flights of stairs until they reached the seventh floor. They walked down the corridor and then Harry walked back and forth in front of a wall a couple of times. Ginny jumped slightly when a door appeared and Harry beckoned her inside.

She followed Harry through the door and into a small room with large windows on three sides, facing out onto Hogwarts grounds. There was a white loveseat that looked cozy and inviting and a small, square coffee table in front of it where fresh flowers sat in a vase. The morning sun cast a comforting glow into the room and Harry sat down on the sofa.

"Is this okay?" Harry asked her as she closed the door behind her.

"It's wonderful. I've never seen this place before. What is it?" She sat down beside him.

"One of the many secrets the house elves of the castle have. They call it the Come and Go Room. They say that whatever you want, the room will give you. So voila! Here we are. I don't think that it can bring food though, so we'll have to go downstairs when you get hungry."

"What about you? Are you hungry?"

Harry looked a little uncomfortable at the thought, then seemed to steel himself. "No. I hunted yesterday with Tamah and Roger before I took them to Sirius's."

"You're eyes do look light today. Like gold."

"Do you like them gold?"

"Yes."

There was a pause in the conversation. Harry was looking over Ginny, through the enchanted window. He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them to look at her.

"I've decided that I'm going to try to be completely honest. But please, you have to understand that there are some things that… I'm just not at liberty to tell. Things that are others' secrets," he explained.

Ginny nodded. She hoped he wouldn't have to leave out that much.

"The room's completely secure. Feel free to ask whatever."

With that kind of opening, Ginny didn't know which question to ask first. She had so many… The beginning was the best place to start.

"Why _did_ the Stewarts adopt you?"

"You mean why did they raise a human child if they're all vampires?"

"Well… yeah, I guess so." Ginny shrugged.

"Jane was the one who found me when I ran away when I was eight. We… bonded. Before she was turned, she lost several children to miscarriages. And then there I was, this helpless little boy. She told me later that she had thought about taking me with her right then, but didn't know how much I was exaggerating about the Dursleys," he spat the word. "So she gave me back and then watched them for a couple of days. Luckily—in the long run—my uncle was particularly nasty to me that week and she somehow legally adopted me later that week."

"So you could eventually be a vampire?" It was getting easier to say the word.

"No," Harry told her emphatically. "Jane wanted to see me grow old. I was going to be the child she never got to have. When she first brought me to meet everyone, only Tamah wasn't angry with her to some degree. They had been living lives of nomads. Having a human child with them meant they had to settle down. Tamah was most likely the reason they accepted me so quickly. She said I was the best thing to happen to them." Harry looked disbelieving when he said that. "But they bought a house and sent me to school. I learned the most from Adam and Roger. They were forever teaching me everything they could. We always had books in the house and I loved to learn. I had never been able to at the Dursleys and they let me read whatever I wanted. The fantasy books were always my favorite. Ironic, huh?"

"Just a little," Ginny smiled. "So that's how you came to live with the Stewarts. But how did they come to be a family?"

"Do you want the entire history or just how they all met?" Harry asked.

"The entire history, if you don't mind."

"Not at all, it just might take a while."

"I've got the entire day ahead of me," Ginny replied, stretching out and propping her feet up on the table as if to prove her point.

"Okay. Aurora was born sometime in the 1500s in Ireland. She was turned when she was twenty one and lived in Ireland until she went to Poland in 1940. Adam went to America as a slave sometime during the 1850s. He was freed a little more than a decade later and went to New York to try to find work. He and Roger were both turned in New York, Adam when he was thirty four and Roger when he was sixteen. They met through the network of vampires in the city. Meanwhile, Jane was born in France and later married. But she was found by a vampire who wanted to take her as his wife. So he killed her husband and then turned her. She was twenty six. She ran to Britain to escape him not long afterwards. Adam and Roger decided to make a fresh start—"

"You mean by not attacking humans?" Ginny interrupted.

"Exactly," Harry replied. "So they swam to Britain and wandered around for a couple of years, adjusting to the abstinence from blood. They ran into Jane in one of the forests where they liked to hunt animals, and she joined the group they had formed. Jane has always been kind and compassionate, so it was relatively easy for her to commit to the life they were trying to live. Tamah was turned when she was eight and they found her and Aurora in Poland in 1941. They moved around a lot before coming back to live in Britain right before Jane found me."

Ginny didn't say anything once he finished speaking, so Harry said, "Well, it was more like a summarized version of their history, but…" He seemed to be avoiding something. "I'm sure you have more questions."

Ginny mulled over what she had been told for a moment. He was glossing over a lot of it, but she didn't care that much. There were other more important things she wanted to ask him about.

"If nobody wanted to… turn you… why did they?" Ginny questioned hesitantly.

"That's a… complicated question, of which I can only answer a part."

"How does that involve someone's secrets?"

"It… doesn't. Not really. But it's not relevant to this conversation. But one day you'll have to know. One day you will know," he promised.

"And I can't know today?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"There are many things about the war we're fighting that you don't know. That nobody else knows. And we're still trying to figure out what to do about it."

"That made no sense, especially given we're talking about your past," Ginny pointed out. 

"I know, just bear with me. They didn't want to turn me. It took six years and some incidents to convince them to turn me. They were going to wait until I was twenty one, but I got them down to eighteen," Harry said proudly.

"But," Ginny said slowly, doing the math in her head. "That would mean that you were just turned when I met you in August!"

"Unforeseen and disastrous events unfolded and we all agreed that I needed to be turned as soon as I turned seventeen."

Ginny was frustrated he wouldn't tell her what had happened to cause his family, who didn't want to turn him in the first place, to doom him to such a life. She wondered why Harry would choose it for himself.

"Wh-what was it like?"

"Being turned?"

"If you don't want to tell—"

"No, I don't mind. Imagine the Cruciatus Curse amplified tenfold and then spanned over the period of forty eight hours."

Ginny was shocked at the comparison, but couldn't not get her mind to wrap about what kind of pain that was.

"How did you not go insane?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think it was an option," he said simply.

Ginny asked about his childhood a lot, and he told her all the places that they had lived. The Stewarts drew a lot of attention if they stayed in one place too long, so Harry changed schools a lot. He got a great education though, from his knowledgeable parents and siblings. Ginny asked more about what his family was like and he told her of Jane's kindness, Adam's intelligence, Roger's creativity, Aurora's independence, and Tamah's vivacity. 

"Tamah also has this… ability," he told her. "It could be compared to Seeing, _very _loosely. It's more intuition than anything, but she can feel things. Sometimes she knows what's going to happen or how something will affect something else. She doesn't see images or hear anything, but just randomly she _knows_. Sometimes it's just a gut feeling she has about something. It's saved us too many times to count from ending up in bad situations. And on other occasions like when she told me to—" Harry abruptly shut his mouth.

"What did she tell you to do?" Ginny asked curiously.

"After I first met you, she told me I had to go back to see you again, even though I thought I'd kill you."

Ginny was unsettled at that comment then thought it over. "So in a way, we have Tamah to thank?"

"I guess you can look at it that way," Harry replied, seemingly glad she had taken the comment so well.

"I'm still curious—morbidly so—about why you want… wanted… want?" She was confused about tenses.

"Wanted," Harry emphasized.

"_Wanted_… to kill me."

And Harry explained how she was more tantalizing than anything in the world, and he had traveled over a lot of it. He didn't know why it was that way. She asked him if he'd change the way she smelled if he could.

"I used to think so, back when I first met you. But now I don't think I would, because it's part of who you are. The way you smell is what brought me to you, albeit not in such a good way at first, but I met you. And that was all I needed to fall in love."

oOo

The next morning, Ginny couldn't get out of bed. They had stopped talking only for her to eat dinner, and then they had continued late into the night. Ginny only made it up to her bed because Harry carried her. She did not know how he got up the girls' staircase, but had been too tired to form a coherent question. He had tucked her in and kissed her on the forehead, running his fingers through her hair. Harry loved to play with her hair and he would always admire it when he had the chance. Ginny had not minded at all and she had drifted off to sleep with his cool fingers running lightly through her hair and over her face.

The conversation had jumped from Harry to Ginny and back again. Ginny had told him stories from her childhood and Harry delighted in hearing all of the magical aspects of her life as a child. He had teased her about her hero-worship of him.

Somehow the subject of Michael Corner had come up and Harry confessed a great hatred toward the boy. Ginny laughed and accused him of being jealous. He said he wasn't jealous, he just didn't want someone coveting what was his and his only. Ginny felt warm inside when he said that and assured him that Michael was unimportant. He said he knew that, but he still didn't like him.

Sarah came and tried to get Ginny up so she wouldn't miss breakfast, but she refused to budge. Harry finally came in once everyone else had left the dorm room to check to make sure Ginny was still okay with everything.

"Of course I am," she replied, finally getting out of bed. "I love you, nothing you say is going to change that." 

oOo

Days later, Harry sat in the common room next to Ginny, watching her intently as she did her homework. He always loved this part of the evening. He never tired of watching her. Even though it had only been three months or so since he met her, he was pretty sure he had most of her facial expressions down. She had subtle quirks that he could almost always catch. Her eyes crinkled slightly when she was passionate about what she was writing. She bit her lower lip when she was thinking about a problem, which always had Harry staring. And he knew he needed to offer her his help when she started glaring at the paper and tapping her quill. At the moment she was finishing up the last paragraph of their Charms paper. He knew she was pretty pleased with it because her mouth was slightly crooked up on the side. She looked over at him beside her and smiled coyly. Oh how beautiful she looked in the firelight. He made an effort to stay seated in his own seat. She turned back to roll up the parchment. As she was placing it in her bag, Harry heard a tapping at the window. 

Looking out it, he saw one of the owls from the school's owlry, the one he had sent with a letter to Tamah and Roger earlier. He went over and opened the window up. The owl landed on his shoulder and Harry saw that the letter was addressed to him. The handwriting told him that it was from Roger.

_Harry—_

_We have been forced out of our home. Emergency plans have been carried out. No one else has been notified. We wait for instruction._

Emergency plans. Harry had forced all of them to learn the back way into Hogwart's Forbidden Forest. If anything ever happened, he had told them, that would be the safest place for them. It had seemed to Harry that the Forest had its secrets and kept them rather well. But he knew that they wouldn't be able to carry out operations from in the woods. Therefore, he had thought up another plan, but hadn't told them about it, just in case they were actually captured by Voldemort. It was impossible for them to protect against his mind intrusions, due to the fact that they had no magic. 

Harry went back over to Ginny, lighting the letter and throwing it in the fireplace as he went by. He wondered, after he told her what had happened, if she would force him to bring her along. Maybe he could convince her to stay in the castle. Probably not.

"Who was the letter from?" Ginny asked. Harry surreptitiously cast a privacy charm around them before he answered.

"Roger," he said. "Voldemort or his followers found our house and attacked him and Tamah."

"Oh my gosh, are they okay?" Ginny asked worriedly.

"Yes, they're fine," Harry assured her. "They're in the Forbidden Forest right now. I'm going out as soon as everyone else goes to bed. I need to find out what happened and make sure that Mum and Dad aren't being tracked."

"I want to come." 

Harry sighed.

"It would be better if you stayed in the castle. We have classes tomorrow and you need to sleep."

"Tomorrow's Friday. I'll sleep in on Saturday."

"I might take them to headquarters, and I don't want to have to worry about you making it back up to the castle safely."

"Everybody who's at headquarters is asleep and there's really no reason to wake them up in the middle of the night. Plus, if they stayed in the Forest they might be able to ask around and dig up some dirt on Voldemort."

"You just want to go," Harry countered.

"So what if I do? My reasoning is sound."

"They could be in danger in the Forest."

"Everything is in danger in the Forest. They're probably the most dangerous things in it." 

Harry paused. "Fine," he conceded. "But I want you to go to bed extra early Friday night."

"You're not my mother," she said as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"Those are my conditions. Take them or leave them." Harry knew he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to see Tamah and Roger.

"Fine," she grumped. "It's not like I really _need _to sleep that much," she mumbled. Harry grabbed her hand and pulled her up off of the chair, canceling the charm as he did so.

"I'm pretty sure you won't feel the same way in the morning," he assured her. She glared at him. He kissed her on the cheek and quickly urged her up the stairs, whispering instructions to her before she ascended.

Harry remained downstairs, watching the dying fire as people slowly drifted up to their respective dormitories. He wondered how his actions would be received tomorrow. Most would probably not care that much, even though they would definitely find it very suspicious. Dumbledore was always hard to read, and Harry didn't know whether he would be okay with the idea, but he knew that his actions would open up new suspicions that would probably lead to Dumbledore finally putting the pieces together. He was not looking forward to that at all, but it was necessary that Tamah and Roger remain safe. Tamah would certainly be thrilled with the plan, and Harry had no doubt that—once she proved herself—her constant input would be very helpful. Roger, on the other hand, would probably have some difficulties adjusting. Harry resolved to sneak onto the Quidditch pitch before they left to let him fly some. Hopefully that would help the news set in easier. 

It was difficult for him not to worry about the rest. If Voldemort or whoever had been able to break through the enchantments he placed around their apartment—not that they were so very strong—he wondered if it was to come after his family to get to him, or because he saw his family as a threat—barring the fact that he was a part of it. He was concerned that Voldemort might have his vampires tracking them. If that was the case, they were in immediate danger. From Aurora, he had learned that the ones Voldemort had were old and experienced. It would not be that difficult to track them, even across countries, if they had had centuries of practice. Then again, Voldemort was the type whose arrogance occasionally blinded him to real threats. He could be so caught up in the prophecy that Harry was his number one threat and—even though the Stewarts posed more of a threat as a whole to him than Harry alone—they were seen as merely stepping stones to the grand prize.

Finally, the common room cleared and Harry waited until he heard the sound of her heartbeat and her footsteps on the stairs. It was going slightly faster than normal and Harry smiled at the comforting sound.

"Are you ready?" he asked her once she reached the bottom. She immediately took his hand, and although hers was incased in a glove, her warmth encompassed Harry's hand.

"Definitely."

"Well, then. I guess we shouldn't keep them waiting." And with that they headed out of the portrait hole and started the silent trek towards the Forest. Ginny toyed with Harry's hand and he tried to concentrate on approaching sounds. They made it out the front door, only needing to hide once in an abandon classroom while—according to Harry—McGonagall passed.

The breeze was gentle but cold and Harry knew that Ginny was starting to get cold despite her warm clothes when he saw her shivering. His proximity probably wasn't helping her and his heart hurt with the thought. But her hand was holding his as tight as ever and he didn't think she would take too kindly to his suggesting that she let go. Plus, he didn't think he could make his mouth form the words to ask her. Her hand fit much too nicely.

They walked to just inside the trees and Ginny lit her a wand.

"Put it away," Harry whispered to her.

"But I can't see," she said as she extinguished the tip of her wand and placed it back in her pocket.

"But I can," Harry replied. "I'm going to carry you."

"What?" she exclaimed. "I do not need to be carried like some helpless little girl. I can walk on my own thank you very much."

"I can see that, but we need to cover a lot of ground quickly and silently and the best way to accomplish that is if you are on my back."

She looked into the inky black of the forest and finally consented, climbing awkwardly onto his back. Harry felt the warm of her body press into him and held onto her legs tighter.

"Are you ready?" he whispered back at her. She nodded into his neck and he started weaving through trees and branches and bushes that she probably couldn't see. Harry could feel her taking small, unnatural breaths. After a minute though, he heard her start to breathe more deeply. It reminded him of a tracker, trying to catch the scent of his prey.

He knew that he was going too fast but if Ginny noticed, she wasn't commenting on it. Roger and Tamah were deep in the forest and Harry needed to get there soon as it was already a quarter until one. He didn't know how long Roger and Tamah should stay at Hogwarts. It was probably best that they only stay a couple of days, at most. But he couldn't deny the expanse of knowledge that would be open to them if they made friends with the creatures. He was sure that many of them knew of Voldemort, and they all had different perspectives that would be useful to the war. Tamah would most definitely want to stay once she found out all of the information that could be gathered. But it wasn't safe for them in the forest, especially if Dumbledore or Voldemort got wind that they were there. Who knew what kind of trouble Harry would get in to, not to mention the uneasily answered questions it would raise if Dumbledore found out that two of his siblings were currently residing in the Forbidden Forest. And if Voldemort found out, that would not only put his family in danger, but the entirety of Hogwarts as well. Harry didn't know where the loyalties of the creatures in the forest lay, and he wasn't going to give himself the chance to find out. Tamah and Roger would be leaving tomorrow, information or no information.

Suddenly, the breeze blew and Harry caught their scent. They weren't in the location that they were suppose to be. Wary, Harry slowed down and motioned for Ginny to remain silent. He crept the rest of the way through the underbrush silently, his eyes scanning his surroundings for anything suspicious. It could be a trap, and he would have brought Ginny right in to it. He cursed himself for his stupidity. He should not have brought her along. There was no way he would live with himself if something happened to her. Then he heard their voices and he became slightly less worried. They sounded happy enough and didn't seem like they were in any sort of distress. The wind blew again and he caught another scent: Centaurs. They must have been around the planned meeting place. He slowly placed Ginny back on the ground and helped her through the natural covering that the plants provided and into a small space surrounded by three trees that looked to have just been cleared. In the middle, sitting on the ground, were Tamah and Roger. They were drawing in the dirt and talking of grandiose attacks on Voldemort and his followers. 

"Who would be scared of giant pink hippos?" Roger was asking as Tamah.

"Dangerous, giant pink hippos. Giant bubbles would fly out of their mouths and could knock someone unconscious on impact. They could be called Stupefying Bubble Blowing Pink Hippopotamuses."

"Harry, do you think Stupefying Bubble Blowing Pink Hippopotamuses would really be more effective than trained Goblins against Voldemort?" Roger asked, turning to face them.

"That I couldn't tell you. Maybe Voldemort has some really bad phobia of pink hippos. So then, perhaps. But on the off chance he doesn't, I'd have to go with the Goblins," Harry replied, tugging Ginny off his back. She climbed down easily.

"Hi Ginny," Tamah greeted. Ginny smiled and said hello back.

"This is Roger," Harry said, walking closer and pulling Ginny by her hand. "You've seen him once before, but I don't think you've actually met."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ginny," Roger said, holding out his hand for her to shake. He looked unsure of the gesture, but Harry didn't see any hesitation in Ginny's movements when she shook it.

"It's nice to meet you, too."

"We're terribly sorry to cause such trouble, interrupting your studies and all," Tamah said, speaking to Ginny. 

"No, it's fine. I wasn't working on anything important."

"Well that's good, then, because this is going to take a while. Harry's got something to tell us, doesn't he?"

"Let's all sit down first," Harry said as he conjured two chairs and a loveseat. Harry motioned for Ginny to sit down in the small sofa directly behind them. Tamah and Roger were already seated and looking seriously at the couple.

Tamah raised her eyebrows towards Ginny, silently asking if she should be allowed in the conversation. 

"She knows," Harry answered aloud so Ginny would have some idea what was going on.

"How much?" Tamah asked.

"Enough."

Tamah smiled, pleased that Harry had told Ginny. Her expression changed quickly to one of disgust, though, and Harry knew what she was going to say before she said it.

"What has she done?" Tamah asked with the tone that showed she knew something like this was going to happen.

"I'd rather know what happened to you first," Harry answered.

Tamah gave him a look but answered. "Well, the apartment building was attacked by Death Eaters."

"Death Eaters?" Harry asked surprised. He thought Voldemort would have sent his vampires. He knew that Death Eaters were no match for even one of the Stewarts.

"We're pretty sure they came upon us by accident," Roger clarified. "We think one of them recognized the wards around the place and decided to kill the wizards in the building. But we heard them coming and gathered up everything of importance and shoved them in those backpacks," he pointed to two bags sitting against a tree trunk, "and then burned…" he trailed off morosely.

"The rest," Tamah finished for him. She shook her head. "He's just upset we burned the books. But they're heavy and we couldn't _leave_ anything," she said like it was obvious. Which it was, to Harry at least. The Death Eaters might have happened upon them by accident, but it was a very close accident and one they could not afford to have come back and bite them later on. Luckily they had saved the necessities. Drawings of Voldemort's hideout, detailed descriptions on all of the people Aurora had gotten information on, newly created spells and wards by Roger, and the list went on. All of these things would be needed for the Order.

"We'll have to let Jane and Adam know so they don't go back to it," Harry said.

"Shouldn't we tell Aurora also?" Tamah asked innocently. If Harry didn't know her better he'd think her to be sincere.

"No."

"Oh? And why not?" Tamah didn't sound concerned about Harry's answer one bit.

"Because, for the moment at least, she's not welcome anywhere near our home."

"Why not?" It was Ginny who had voiced the question and Harry turned slowly towards her, a deer-in-the-headlights look on his face.

"Why aren't you going to tell Aurora?" Ginny asked again when Harry didn't answer immediately. 

"Yes Harry, why?" Tamah asked curiously, but there was a slight poison behind the words that made Harry scowl. No matter what Aurora did, she was still his sister and he still loved her. He knew that Tamah did too, but she was always so childish about anything involving Aurora that he wondered if she knew she'd be miserable if something ever actually happened to her.

Harry decided it would be easier on his nerves if he talked directly to Ginny. "Aurora is the oldest out of us, right?" At Ginny's nod he continued. "I didn't tell you this before but before Aurora met Mum and Dad and Roger, she was… the worst kind of us out there." Harry didn't actually want to put it into words.

"She hunted humans?" Ginny asked nonchalantly.

"Yes," Tamah spat bitterly. She looked on the verge of saying something else but Harry glared at her and she looked away.

"She was wild, uncontrolled. She didn't have anyone there to tell her to stop. The thing is, she hunted not only when she was thirsty, but as a game," Harry told her gently.

"A game?" 

"She liked to track them, trick them," Harry gulped, "seduce them. She was bored with life and had no rules to live her life by."

"But she stopped when she met your family, right?"

"Yes, she did. And she was doing really well, for having lived off of blood for so long. But now that she's back with the others who do not have any restraints…" Harry's voice grew soft.

"She's reverted back to her old ways and is ruining the lives of perfectly innocent people who have never even seen her before," Tamah finished with a sarcastic tone of joy.

"That is enough," Harry told her sternly. He looked back to Ginny. "She's misguided at the moment, but she'll come back. We're family, and she's a part of that."

"She'll come back," Tamah assured him unhappily, crossing her arms. "And at least she'll have learned her lesson."

"Do you know when?" Harry asked her, a little unwilling. 

"Soon enough," she replied, which could mean any number of things to Harry. Soon enough to help in defeating Voldemort? Soon as in the next couple of weeks and Tamah just wasn't happy about it? Harry didn't bother asking for clarification; Tamah rarely gave any. Sometimes she reminded him of the Centaurs in the Forest, except instead of just talking in riddles to confuse people, Tamah really didn't know.

oOo

Harry took Ginny back to the castle soon afterwards. She didn't want to go, but her protests were weak because of how tired she was. He stopped at the bottom of the girls' staircase to say goodnight. She looked like she couldn't keep her eyes open and her feet were unsteady on the ground. Her red hair fell in front of her shoulders and her warm brown eyes stared up at his through sleepy lids. She smiled slightly and said goodnight. He watched the small movement that told him she was readying herself to turn around when he gently and quickly grabbed her waist, pulling her closer to him. He put his lips to her cheek and let them linger on her warm skin briefly before speeding out of the common room, all too aware that his mouth had just been inches from her throat.

On his way back down to the grounds he remembered that he was going to let Roger fly for a bit, so he went back up and grabbed his broom. Roger's broom was one of the things they saved from burning, though, so Harry let Tamah go up. They stayed in the air for hours, speeding and turning and looping around. Harry was content to just watch them enjoy life, something they rarely ever did. Once the two had made a mutual agreement to land, Harry led them silently through the castle to the doors of the headmaster's office. After guessing the password, Harry led them up the spiraling staircase to the large door and knocked. He knew the headmaster wasn't sleeping, but felt bad about being there so late.

"Come in."

Harry opened the door and found Dumbledore seated at his desk. Tamah and Roger followed Harry in silently. They both stared around the room in amazement—Harry was sure just like he had when he first set eyes on it—and Dumbledore stared at them.

"Good evening, Headmaster," Harry said politely. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you so late, but it seems we've run into a slight problem. My sister and brother seem to be without a house at the moment."

"Why is that?"

"Death Eaters attacked our apartment, sir, and I would feel much better if they could live with Sirius so something like this wouldn't happen again."

"Ah. That would be fine with me, as long as Sirius is agreeable to having guests," Dumbledore said hesitantly. "Though I must ask that they stay clear of visitors who do not know them."

"Of course. Though I must suggest that they be included in the Order's discussions, or at least kept up to date on the going-ons. They're an invaluable source of information and I would hate to have them holed up in a room somewhere when they can help make a difference in the war."

Dumbledore nodded his consent. "Sirius can talk to them after each meeting and give them all the vital information."

Harry accepted the terms, knowing Sirius would tell them everything he could remember about each and every meeting.

The pause after the statement was interrupted by Tamah stepping forward to the desk. "Harry can be forgetful sometimes, especially with introductions. I'm Tamah," she said in her high child's voice and smiled sweetly at him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Tamah," Dumbledore greeted her. 

"And this is Roger," she said, pulling him forward by the hand.

"Hello," was all Roger said. Dumbledore inclined his head toward him.

Harry got Dumbledore to give them the address of Sirius's house so Harry could take them to it. It was extremely late—or really early in the morning if one wanted to look at it that way—so Harry didn't bother waking Sirius up. Tamah was more than capable of making herself known. So Harry left them in the hallway where they assured him they would be fine. 

The journey back to Hogwarts seemed to stretch on forever in Harry's anxiousness to get back to Ginny. He knew she was asleep, but he didn't like being this far away from her. Once he got back, he waited out the rest of the night in the common room, doing his homework painfully slow as to stretch it out over the three hours he had until Ginny would wake for classes.

oOo

Ginny still couldn't believe that she was dating Harry. It wasn't the fact that he was the Boy-Who-Lived, and it wasn't because he was a vampire, but because it was so wonderful she knew that it couldn't be for real. It was strange to have complete confidence in Harry—she knew he loved her just by the way he looked at her—but to worry about whether or not it was really, actually happening. When he was with her she was whole. She knew it sounded clichéd, but she didn't care. Nothing was ever right unless Harry was right there beside her.

But something was bothering him lately, and he didn't want to talk to her about it. She was pretty sure that he was upset about Aurora. Even though Tamah had expressed confidence earlier that month about Aurora coming back to the Stewarts, it had yet to happen. She guessed Harry thought she'd be back by now. She didn't like guessing. She wanted to know what was going on, she wanted Harry to talk to her… but lately it just wasn't working. They'd still talk about unimportant things, but the major things that were affecting his life at the moment weren't even allowed to come into the conversation.

Ginny had tried to get him to open up, but every time he'd reply that he was fine and didn't want to talk about it. If she bothered him further, he'd just sit there in a contest of wills: Ginny trying to get information out of him and him refusing to talk. Harry always won. Ginny wondered how long he could actually sit there without moving or talking. Her instincts told her that it was a very, very long time.

Soon it got so that he didn't talk much at all. He was still there, holding her hand, walking her to class, bringing her chocolates and flowers, but something was weighing heavily on his mind and it frustrated Ginny to no end that he would not let her help.

And then one day, he was fine. Not fine in his sense, but really fine. He wasn't morose anymore, and there was more laughter. Harry told her later that night as they walked the halls that Aurora had come back the night before. After stopping by Dumbledore's office, he had taken her to see Tamah and Roger. And—he got really excited during this part of the story—she must have said something right because even Tamah forgave her. Ginny asked why Tamah forgiving her was cause for such celebration, but Harry said evasively that Tamah wasn't a very forgiving person. Ginny didn't really see that being true because of how young she could be—and children tend to forgive very easily—but decided not to question Harry further and put him in a bad mood, especially as he knew his own family better than she did.

Ginny hoped next time that he would feel comfortable enough to open up to her. He had to know by now she wasn't going to get freaked out by what he had to say. And even if she did… she certainly wasn't going to let him know that.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: The name the Cold Ones totally comes from Stephenie Meyer's Twilight

**A/N: The name the Cold Ones totally comes from Stephenie Meyer's **_**Twilight**_**. I'm just not very creative and decided that name worked as well as any other. I'm so glad that I've reached this chapter, it's one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy.**

**Chapter 8: The Cold Ones**

Ginny sighed as she walked back to the castle from Herbology on the last day of classes before the holiday break. She really detested the class, but her mother had insisted that she take it. Apparently if one does well on their OWL that must mean that they really enjoy the subject and would like to pursue it further. She scowled as she tried to get out the dirt from under her fingernails. After a few minutes with very little success, she gave it up as a bad job and watched the people milling around the grounds instead. It was almost lunchtime… her heart sped up with the thought. She had missed Harry during Charms that morning. Perhaps missed was not the right word. She was always so distracted when Harry wasn't near, always checking her watch, tapping her foot, gazing unseeingly around the room. And this was when she knew where he was. He had told her that morning as he walked her down to breakfast that he needed to go talk to Dumbledore about something Aurora had told him. He had promised that he would be there for lunch, though, and Ginny knew he always kept his promises if he could.

So it was with a lighter heart that she walked to the Great Hall. But as soon as she got her hopes up, they were slightly crushed when she saw Malcolm Dunsine instead of Harry walking towards her. Instantly worried because of the look on his face, she walked faster towards the Great Hall where there were witnesses. She figured she wouldn't be as tempted to do real harm to him if she knew people were watching.

"Running away are you?" Malcolm called. "If I were you, I would be more worried about getting away from that… thing you are always all over." His lips curved into a sickly smile. Ginny wondered if he had finally figured it out. This was not going to go well.

"You know…" he started, walking even closer. Ginny tried to walk faster but he cornered her by the wall and pulled out his wand. "I've always wondered what it would be like…" he ran his finger down the length of her cheek. She flinched away from his touch as she reached her hand around her bag to retrieve her wand. Then a nasty smile came to his lips. "Is it cold?" he asked.

She had gotten hold of her wand but the way her arm was positioned against the wall didn't allow for much movement. She figured she should at least try, though. A jet of light shot out of her wand and missed Malcolm by mere centimeters.

"Why you little…" he waved his wand as Ginny took her leg and brought it up in front of her, but instead of impacting its target, it hit thin air. She watched as a white blur shot in front of her and the next thing she saw was Malcolm shoved up against the wall, feet three feet off the ground, held in place at the neck by Harry's arm. 

"I have warned you before Malcolm," he said in a deadly cold voice, a voice that Ginny had never heard him use before. It was very different than his usual voice, a very protective, deep growl. "Do not come near her. I don't want to see you even glance in her direction." He dropped him and watched as he fell in a heap on the floor.

"Or what?" Malcolm tried to snarl once he had some of his breath back. It came out more as a whisper. "You gonna kill me? I expected more from the Boy-Who-Lived."

"Do not tempt me. I've dealt with worse than the likes of you Dunsine," he spat. "Did your father ever tell you what happen to McNair?" Malcolm lost all color in his face and his eyes widened. Harry smiled threateningly. "Stay away," he warned, "Or they won't be able to even identify _your_ body."

Ginny had never seen him so angry before. The expression on his face would have scared her to death if it had been directed at her. But she knew that that anger would never be turned on her, and instead all she felt was love that he cared so much about her that Malcolm's childish taunting would bother him that much. She looked over Harry's shoulder and saw that a teacher was coming down the stairs. He obviously heard the footsteps because he turned to her and held out his hand, his expression still furious. Ginny immediately took his hand and led him towards the Great Hall.

"I'm really sorry about you not having a chance to kick him," he said sincerely as he held her, not once looking back at Malcolm who was still on the floor. "I was just so in the moment that it was a miracle I didn't snap his neck." Ginny quickly glanced around to make sure no one had heard the last part. 

"It's fine, really. I'm sure he'll be at it again. Then I'll have my chance," she said unconcernedly.

"He better not. If he bothers you again then you tell me and I'll take care of it." Now he was getting a little too protective.

"You think I can't handle myself?" she asked indignantly as they sat down at the very end of the table, away from everyone.

"It's not that I don't think you can. I just don't want you to have to. You're a very powerful witch Gin, but I don't want you to risk your safety for someone like Dunsine." He said it with such honesty that Ginny just sighed and started piling up her plate with food, just now becoming aware of how hungry she was. 

"He called you the Boy-Who-Lived," she said questioningly.

"Well yeah. Voldemort knows who I am. If is father told him _what_ I am, he might as well tell him _who_ I am."

"Stupid git," Ginny said to herself.

Now that the Malcolm incident had passed, she wanted to know what had happened at the meeting, but she didn't get a chance to ask. 

"Do you have a lot of homework tonight?" he questioned suddenly. Ginny took a bite out of her roll and chewed slowly. She thought about it quickly and realized that she had already finished all the work that was due soon. The essays that she was most definitely going to be assigned for her next to classes could wait; Harry was making plans for them tonight.

"Nope!" she said excitedly. He smiled at her enthusiasm.

"Well then, I was hoping we could… wait, that's not how I want to…" he paused. "Ginny," he started again, somewhat formally. She looked at him questioningly. "Will you go on a date with me?"

She tried to keep her laughter in, but a small giggle couldn't help but escape. "Of course," she said, smiling brightly. "But you really didn't need to ask like that," she pointed out.

"But I've never been on an official date before, so I wanted the whole thing to be done the proper way. That's what Tamah said I should ask you… should I have said something different?" She shook her head, still smiling.

"No, ask whatever way you want to. So what are we doing?" She was very curious as to what he had planned. There were very few date-like things that couples could do in the confines of the castle without involving broom closets or Astronomy towers. Actually, those activities didn't sound bad at all. Ginny blushed slightly and frowned, disappointed. Broom closets would most definitely not be considered.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked after a frown followed the small rushing of blood to her face. He tried to ignore the pink of her cheeks, though couldn't help but think to himself how cute she looked. She was frowning, though. She had seemed happy a moment ago, but maybe she had just realized that date meant being alone with him. Perhaps the idea scared her. But they were alone all the time. So that probably wasn't it. Harry knew she wanted to go, he could tell by the expression on her face when he had asked her.

"Nothing," she replied quickly. "So? Where are we going?" It was so hard sometimes for Harry to let moments like these pass. It was so tempting to just take a quick glance at her mind. He wanted to know what was wrong so he could fix it. He wanted her to be happy and if there was anything he could do to help, he'd do it. But she had a problem with telling him what was really wrong. And he was not going to invade her privacy like that. It had been very frustrating at first when she did this because he had grown up with everyone in his family being open about almost everything. If something bothered him, he was always encouraged to speak his mind. He found out quickly though, after coming to Hogwarts, that that was not accepted behavior everywhere else. He had adapted quickly. But with Ginny, everything seemed different than it did with everyone else.

"It's a surprise," he said, smirking. She hated surprises and he knew it. His smirk grew even more pronounced when she scowled.

"Come on, I hate surprises. Isn't it a rule somewhere that if it's a first date you have to tell the person what they're doing?" Her eyes pleaded with him.

"No," he said, enjoying her facial expressions.

"Please," she begged. "Tell me." He shook his head.

"Tell me what we're doing," she demanded. He shook his head again.

"Eat some more, you'll get hungry during class if you don't." She pushed her plate away from her and folded her arms across her chest. He raised an eyebrow. He watched as she paused a moment and then seemed to realize the truth in his words. She pulled the plate back to her and ate some more. The bell rang soon afterwards and they started walking to Defense.

"Please tell me?" she asked sweetly, running her hand down his arm and lacing his fingers through hers. He smiled at the instant warmth her small hand provided and rebelled at the instinct to lift the frail hand to give his mouth access to her wrist. She had moved closer and his head was filled with her scent. He felt that if he had a beating heart, it would have lurched. Instead, he felt it mouth water slightly with the poison that formed a slight film over his teeth. What had she asked him? He held on to her hand as tightly as he could without hurting her.

"You're just going to have to be patient," he told her as they entered the Defense classroom. He reluctantly dropped her hand and watched her back as she went to sit with Sarah, his thoughts becoming slightly clearer now that she wasn't immediately next to him. He took his seat by the door and let his mind wonder—he hadn't been letting himself do that lately—if he really was a good thing for her. She had admitted to him that she had been miserable, absolutely miserable, for those days that he had absent. She had said she never wanted him to leave her again. He had wholeheartedly agreed. The idea that she would always be with him was very appealing. But… he didn't think she would like him nearly as much if he tried to kill her. His mind was so confused though. Would he actually be able to do it? To end the life of the one person that made his complete? It would be like killing himself—just worse because his body would still be living. Like Dementors sucking out his soul. Harry looked over at Ginny; she smiled at him. He smiled back. There was no way he could ever hurt her, he decided, no matter what he was.

The rest of the day passed mindlessly slow for Harry. During Potions, which was a double period, he had no trouble ignoring Snape's comments, focusing instead on his and Ginny's date that night. Finally, the bell rang and he turned in the potion that had been assigned. He grabbed his bag and had to make a conscious effort to walk as slowly as he did. He was anxious to see Ginny and wondered if she'd like what he had planned for tonight. He barely gave Snape a thought as he passed him on his way out of the classroom. He missed Ginny so much he could swear he could smell her, hear her breathing. He crossed the threshold of the door to find her leaning up against the wall opposite of the door to the classroom.

"Ginny!" he exclaimed, surprised and elated that she was there, next to him after such a long time of separation. He walked—a little too fast—over to her and put his hand around her waist, pulling her away from the wall. He listened contentedly as he heard her heart speed up. He would know her heartbeat in a crowd of a thousand people.

"Hey," she said. He liked to think she sounded a little breathless.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked, looking her over. She was still in her uniform. "Maybe not," he said to himself. "Come on, we'll go back to the common room so you can change and I can drop off my bag." They started to walk back to Gryffindor tower.

"Change? What do I need to wear?" Harry imagined a few things he'd like to see her wearing.

"Just normal clothes," he said after a moment.

"But what kind of clothes are normal clothes? Perhaps if you told me what we are doing I could better prepare—"

"Oh give it up. I'm not telling you."

"Spoilsport," she scowled. 

He had instructed her to dress warmly and bring a coat when she went upstairs, and he was very glad to see she had taken his advice. He watched as she descended the stairs, wearing a tight green turtleneck sweater and low jeans. He decided immediately that it was one of his new favorite outfits on her. She reached the bottom of the stairs and he took her coat out of her hands.

"What are you doing?" she asked. Harry looked at her strangely.

"I'm carrying your coat for you." 

"Oh," she said as she smiled, slightly confused, at him. "Thanks then, I guess." He laughed.

"No problem. Now come on." 

She followed him out of the portrait hole, surrounded by the stares of their housemates. Harry wished they wouldn't do that; it always made him intensely uncomfortable. He carefully slid his arm around her waist and she leaned in to his side slowly.

"Good?" she asked him softly.

"Wonderful," he replied, just as softly. She smelled just as lovely as always, but if it got to be too much, Harry found that if he turned his head away from her for a little bit—towards cleaner air— he could maintain complete control of his mind. They walked like this for a little ways until Harry pulled her into a deserted hallway where even the walls were bare. Ginny looked around a little bemused. Harry caught the expression.

"Be patient and put this on." He pulled out his Invisibility Cloak and Ginny gasped, holding her hand out to touch it reverently.

"Is it a real Invisibility Cloak?" she asked as she stroked the fabric.

"Of course it is," he said as he placed it in her hands. "Put in on."

"I don't understand…" she said hesitantly. He smirked.

"Well it's quite simple really. You see this?" he asked as he held up the cloak. "You take it like so," he grabbed the ends of it, "and place it over yourself like this," and placed it over her head so she was completely invisible. He could almost hear her rolling her eyes.

"Now, do you remember the witch that we just passed?" he asked.

"Um… no." 

"Turn right out of this hall and it's about fifty feet to your left. Go there and stand by it."

"An Invisibility Cloak is needed to stand by a statue?"

"Yes. I don't want to portraits to see you. Now go." He estimated where her back was and pushed as lightly as he could.

"I'm going, I'm going," she said grumpily. "You know, this would be a lot easier if you just told—"

"Go!" he urged her.

After he was sure that she was standing by the witch, he went and tapped it with his wand, saying the password. It opened up and he heard Ginny give a small gasp. He hoped the paintings hadn't heard it. He didn't want her to get in any trouble. He listened as she walked into the dark tunnel and then followed in after her, closing the statue after they were both fully in.

"You can take the cloak off now," he told her. She appeared and handed him the cloak back. He gave Ginny her coat.

"It's going to get pretty cold soon." She slipped it on and Harry started walking down the tunnel. Ginny lit her wand.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot," Harry said. He took out his wand and the long expanse of the tunnel was lit in front of them.

"It looks like it goes on forever." 

"It doesn't, but it sure feels like it."

"Have you been down here before?" Harry smiled at the memory of Sirius showing him all the secret passageways in the castle. This was the first one, seeing as they used it to get into the castle.

"Yeah, a couple of times."

"Where does it lead?"

Harry opened his mouth to reply and then abruptly closed it. He laughed slightly.

"You almost had me that time, but I'm not going to tell you. It's a surprise. Which means, you don't get to find out until we're there." He glanced back at her. She was trying to frown, but her lips kept twitching up.

"I was so close that time, too."

The journey took a while. Harry wanted to go faster, but he didn't know if Ginny was ready to find out about how fast he could go. It wasn't that he didn't trust her with the information; he trusted her more than anyone else. But he wasn't sure how much more she could take. She seemed okay after finding out he was a vampire, but anything might push her over the edge. There was no way that he would be able to survive her running away from him. It was probably better to introduce things slowly. Harry wanted to tell her everything though. His heart told him she'd understand. His mind told him that the whole reason his family had had to live the way they did was because people _didn't_ understand.

"There's so many of them!" Ginny exclaimed when they finally reached the stairs.

"I'll carry you up them if you'd like," he suggested, only half joking.

"I wasn't complaining about having to walk up them, I was just commenting on how many of them there are."

"Well okay then, ladies first," Harry said as he motioned to the stairs. Ginny started climbing. 

"Watch out for your head," he instructed once they were nearing the top. She slowed her walking and held her wand high in front of her. She stopped and Harry came up behind her, slowly and silently pushing the trap door open. She watched on in wonder and he helped her up through it.

"Put the cloak back on," he told her, handing it to her. She obediently covered herself up and followed him when he motioned for her after closing the trap door. He quietly opened the door leading into the Honeydukes store and he could almost feel Ginny's expression of amazement. He quickly weaved through the store—there weren't that many customers—and walked out the front door, subtly holding it open until he knew Ginny was through. He walked casually through the street and then ducked into an alley.

"Go ahead and take it off," Harry told Ginny once he was sure they were alone. She pulled it off and handed it back to him.

"I can't believe that it leads to Hogsmeade!" she whispered excitedly. "This is wonderful!"

Harry was glad she liked it so much. He smiled and took her hand.

"Come on," he said. "Do you want to shop a little or get something to eat first?"

"Shop," she said. "I'm not that hungry yet."

"Well then, let's go."

They strolled through the street that was decorated for the holidays, going in to shops when they saw something that caught their eye. They joked and laughed and had a great time. Harry didn't know how he had ever survived without her. She was bright, funny, warm, and the best of all—she accepted him. He pulled her closer to him, enjoying her warmth, as they passed the jewelry store on the way to the Hog's Head. He watched as she stared at a diamond bracelet in the display window.

"What are you looking at?" he asked her.

"Oh," she said, caught off guard. "I was just looking at all the pretty jewelry. They always seem to sparkle, don't you think?" He knew she was just making stuff up, but looked at them anyway. Harry didn't think they sparkled nearly as much as Ginny did. Well… figuratively speaking.

He lead her into the warm and cozy building. They found a small table in a corner that was surrounded by empty tables. Ginny took off her coat and placed it over the back of her seat.

"Welcome to the Hog's Head. I'm Rosie. What can I get you two?" Rosie asked, walking up to the table.

"A Butterbeer for me please," Ginny said. Rosie turned to Harry and he recognized the look in her eye with exasperation.

"Nothing for me, thank you," he said to her. She nodded and walked away.

Ginny put her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hand. It was quiet for a few minutes.

"So how's life?" Ginny finally asked.

"I don't know… how are you?" he asked her, leaning across the table towards her. Ginny smiled and looked away. Harry watched amusedly as red patches stained her cheeks. It was rather cramped in the room, though, and he had to ball his hands into fists and not breathe.

"I'm sorry," he said, using the last of his breath. Ginny sat there unmoving, watching him. Rosie brought Ginny's Butterbeer over and sat it on the table.

"Would you like anything to eat?" she asked. Harry stayed still, though it was easier now that Rosie was nearer. Her scent interfered slightly with Ginny's and made it easier to concentrate.

"I'll just have the soup," Ginny said. Rosie turned to Harry but Ginny said quickly, "He's not hungry," before Rosie could ask him anything. Harry laughed silently and bitterly to himself at such a statement.

"Are you okay?" she asked him after Rosie departed. "Should I leave?"

"No," he hastily assured her. "I'm better now. I'm sorry about this. It's just so stuffy in here. The ventilation isn't very good." He sat for a moment longer. He didn't want this to ruin their first date. The thought helped his control.

"There," he said after another minute. "Did you like that music I gave you?" he asked her.

"Oh yes," she enthused. "How did you make it so it could play inside Hogwarts though? I thought that Muggle things didn't work."

"It's kind of hard to explain," Harry said hesitantly.

"Try," she encouraged, looking inquisitively at him.

"Well okay… So remember when I told you I didn't start out doing magic with a wand?" She nodded so he continued. "Well I didn't really use a spell, I just changed it so it would run using magic and then…"

The rest of the dinner was spent in companionable conversation. After Harry's explanation, it turned into a two-sided interrogation of sorts, each asking each other questions about their likes and dislikes… books, music, color, hobby, even season. Harry didn't want the time to end. He remembered everything that Ginny said and stored it away carefully in his mind. But—as always—it became time to leave the bar. Harry paid while Ginny wrapped herself up in her coat. After they walked outside, Harry took hold of her hand. He lead her down the street towards the castle.

"Aren't we going back to Honeydukes?" she questioned.

"No, I… I decided I wanted to show you something."

"Really? What is it?" she asked excitedly.

"You're going to hate me—"

She interrupted him. "I could never hate—" 

"It's a surprise." 

She scowled. "I'd like to retract my previous statement."

"Oh, don't be like that," he said lightly, taking his hand out of hers and wrapping it around her shoulders. He hoped he wasn't making her colder.

"Can you give me a hint?"

"Sure, why not." He thought for a moment. "I know you'll like it."

"That's not much of a hint," she complained. He smiled.

"Just a little farther," he said.

They walked until they were completely out of sight of anyone and any place. Harry stopped after looking around for a minute.

"Okay, get on my back," he instructed.

"What?" 

"Just do it."

She climbed on and he wrapped her arms and legs tightly around him.

"Do you trust me?" he whispered.

"Completely," she whispered back softly.

"Then hold on tight. And you might want to close your eyes."

He didn't wait to see if she did. He took off like a bullet, streaking silently through the night towards the grounds of Hogwarts. He felt Ginny's breathing increase and smiled. He ran, reveling in the feeling of the wind whipping against him, the freedom he felt. He ran until the gates guarding Hogwarts stopped and he turned into the Forbidden Forest. Easily, unthinkingly, he weaved between the trees, not leaving a trace of their presence. Only a few minutes after he had started running, he slowed and stopped, smiling and glancing back at Ginny. She had her head up and her eyes were bright with excitement. He helped her down and she ran around to the front of him and wrapped her arms around him. He froze and she slowly extracted herself from him.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed. "I forgot—"

"It's okay," he said as he pulled her back to where she was. He held her for a minute and then let go.

"That was amazing!" she gushed, almost bouncing. "It was like flying… but faster! And… wow. Just… wow."

"I'm glad you liked it."

"How… how do you run that fast?" she asked. He sat down on the grass in the very small clearing that he had stopped in. She fell down next to him and turned to face him.

"You know how I'm a lot stronger than a human?" he asked. She nodded. "Vampires… they can run really fast too. Their motions, their reflexes, are many times faster than any human's can ever hope to be."

"Like when you do something so fast it's just a blur."

"Exactly. And if they've had any practice, they can be practically invisible in their movements. It's why…" he paused, and looked at the ground. "It's why those of us that… hunt humans can so easily… catch them. They don't even see it coming. It's why no one sees us. No witnesses. Our strength, minds, everything really… we're like the perfect predator. It's why Voldemort has been able to cause so much destruction. Because of us," he said angrily, crushing a nearby rock to dust in his hand. He realized what he did and worriedly looked up to see Ginny's expression. She wasn't staring at him—not with fear as he expected—but a confused expression.

"You don't get it, do you?" Ginny shook her head.

"Voldemort doesn't just have Death Eaters, he has vampires on his side too. That's how they're able to cause such panic. Muggles don't have a clue about any of it, but wizards don't know everything either. Death Eaters are messy, loud. Their attacks always leave traces of their presence, whether it be magic or that abhorred Dark Mark. The vampires though, they are discreet, silent, and always deadly."

"But… won't wizards at least get suspicious when they find dead bodies that don't have any blood? Won't they realize it's… them?" It was still hard for her to say the word. 

"The Cold Ones—Voldemort's vampires—they don't leave bodies to find." Her face must have shown all the disgust she felt because Harry quickly amended.

"No, no, no. They don't—they just bury the bodies. Or, well… otherwise dispose of them. It's not what you think."

"So," she started carefully. "They don't actually _eat_—"

"No!" he forcefully interrupted her. He seemed revolted and even offended. 

"Oh," she said, extremely relieved. "But then, how do you know that it's… the Cold Ones doing it? If they don't leave any evidence or anything…" she trailed off, watching him. He seemed to be deliberating, probably figuring out how much he should tell her, if anything at all.

"I have spoken with Voldemort before." Ginny couldn't conceal the small gasp. 

"And by spoken you mean fought." It wasn't a question. Harry looked off into the dark trees. She hadn't realized how late it was.

"He is a very conceited person," Harry explained slowly, ignoring her comment. He was obviously thinking about what he was going to say before he said it. "He likes to detail his triumphs. I believe that he thinks the vampires to be a great accomplishment, therefore when he talked about them, I think he told a little more than he meant to. Of course, he could have meant to tell me exactly what he did, to increase my fear, thinking I wasn't going to survive." He paused and stared at her face judgingly. 

"It is... odd to find such a large number of vampires that will willingly take orders, especially from someone like Voldemort who has so little control over us." He looked like he was going to say more, but abruptly shut his mouth. Ginny sat there, imagining row after row of vampires, pale and menacing, being led by Voldemort into a neighborhood of unsuspecting victims.

"How many does he have?" she asked quietly.

"Six." She looked at him incredulously. There were more people than that in her immediate family. 

"I know it must be hard to see the significance of what must be a very small number to you, but it is rare that so many of us work together. We usually travel alone and occasionally in pairs, but the need for dominance and blood make having even a group of three almost impossible."

"But I thought you grew up with your family. You said they're all vampires."

"And we are one of the very few exceptions. Dad believes it's because we don't drink human blood, and therefore we're less hostile towards each other. But for a group to exist, made up of those whose diets consist of solely that… it's very worrisome." 

She could tell it bothered him greatly, and was about to drop the subject all together when he suddenly sprang to his feet, pulling her up off the ground to stand behind him. He moved so fast that there was the white blur of his arm and she was suddenly on her feet. The quick motion made her slightly disoriented. They stood there for a few seconds in silence. She knew better than to ask what was wrong. They were in the Forbidden Forest after all, where there were many things that could mean harm to either or both of them. She heard the underbrush rustling and tried to see over his shoulder, but he placed his arm around her quickly to hold her in place. Suddenly, he relaxed his stance completely and she walked cautiously to stand beside him.

"Good evening Harry," Ginny heard a sweet, angelic voice call. She creased her forehead in thought. She had heard that voice before. Out from the woods a small girl emerged. Ginny recognized her immediately; it was hard to forget such a person.

"Hello, Tamah," he said just as polite. Ginny watched as she rolled her eyes and ran slowly to Harry who opened his arms for her. She jumped up and gave him a long hug.

"I've missed you so much," she mumbled into his shoulder. "It's just not the same without you. Roger's always so boring. But let me tell you, Sirius is quite something else. He's like the Weasley twins. I don't think Roger appreciates it though." 

Harry laughed and put her back down on the ground.

"You know it's hard for him," he admonished her kindly. 

"Hi Ginny!" Tamah greeted.

"Hey. You know, I never got to ask you how those joke products you bought were. I hope they worked well?" A big smile lit up the smaller girl's face.

"Oh yes. The results were quite entertaining. I've actually gone to the store quite a number of times since Harry left. Your twin brothers are so funny!"

"Yeah," Ginny replied. "They can be really great as long as you're not their victim of whatever experiment they're conducting that day."

"That's probably true," Tamah agreed. "But they're really nice. They let me stay an entire day in the store one time. It was wonderful. They let me help some of the customers shop, though I'm pretty sure that they assigned me to all the boys for a reason. I swear, those guys really know how to sell their merchandise. They even told me about how they invented some of their products. I really wouldn't have stayed so long, but it's so nerve-wracking at home and I really didn't want to—"

"Okay Tamah," Harry cut in to her ramble. "I think we get the point." She smiled at him. Ginny thought she looked like an angel. It was hard for her to wrap her head around the fact that the girl in front of her was actually much older than herself. She tried not to think about it. 

"Do forgive me. I get so caught up sometimes… But this is not why I came!" Her expression changed completely and she seemed to recollect herself now that she remembered her purpose. She looked up at Harry.

"Something's come up."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this out

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this out. So far, this has been the most difficult chapter to write, and I don't really like it. If you have any suggestions on how it could be improved, I'd greatly appreciate it.**

**Chapter 9: Vicarious Revenge**

"It's not that I want to betray Aurora's confidence, but this whole situation has me very worried," Tamah started of, rushing so much that the words were hard for Ginny to make out. Harry glanced at Ginny quickly. She knew he was questioning his decision to let her stay now that he knew the topic of conversation.

"I can leave if you want," she said. While she was curious, she was able to rein it in easily enough. She had always felt a little out of place in conversations about things she didn't really understand.

"No, no it's fine. Please, I want you stay. Maybe it's better that you know everything," he said as he took hold of her hand. Ginny wondered what other secrets he could possibly be keeping.

"What has she done?" Harry questioned Tamah, feeling as if the roles were reversed this time.

"She hasn't done anything yet, but I know that something's going to happen. I just can't tell whether it'll be in our favor or not." She took a deep breath and looked into Harry's eyes. "She told me when the day she came back that she thinks she's falling in love with one of… one of the Cold Ones."

Harry's grip on Ginny's hand became decidedly tighter. It loosened up a bit after a moment, but she was sharply reminded of how strong he was—and how weak she was in comparison. He always made her feel so small.

"Aurora fancies herself in love with a different guy every month. You know how she is."

"It's not like that, not this time. We talked yesterday and she hasn't changed her mind. And now I feel that she does. I know she actually…" Tamah buried her face in her hands. "She can't mess this up. I won't let her. We _have_ to win this war… Do you think that she would actually do something terrible?"

"What kind of things could she do?" Ginny asked.

"Aurora knows things—important things—like the Order's secrets. She knows our plans. She knows _us_," Harry answered her.

"And you're worried that she'd betray you to Voldemort? I mean, I know what she did earlier, but that was different, wasn't it?"

"To Aurora there is a major difference. Killing strangers is completely different than causing the death of family. But, she is… impulsive. She gets bored with life. It's possible that she would betray us just because it will increase the longevity of the war."

"Of course, this is all just speculation and it's only in the very worst case scenario that she does this," Harry said, coming to her defense.

"Perhaps. She's proven herself capable of putting us aside, though, with that shit she pulled earlier," Tamah pointed out.

Ginny was surprised to hear a little girl talk like that, and she had to remind herself how old Tamah really was.

"But I don't know this Joseph that she's with, and it's possible that her loyalty may shift from us to him. If she doesn't truly love him already, she will. And if he cajoles her into choosing him over everything… where will that leave us?" Tamah asked with despair.

"What if he already knows? What if she's told him about her loyalties? Her spying?" Harry asked, suddenly very worried. "What if she's in danger?"

Tamah shook her head. "I asked her and she said she hadn't done or said anything to give herself away and she wasn't lying about that. She said she doesn't want to put us in danger. But I wonder if she's just not worried that he won't like her as much—if any at all—when he finds out whose side she's really on."

Ginny heard all of this with astonishment. How calmly they were discussing everything! It was surreal. Ginny was positive that these two people and their family were the reason for all of the good that had been happening lately. She'd read in the newspaper about attacks being stopped and Death Eaters being captured, but no one except her and Dumbledore knew why. And here they were, talking about the war and events that—if they came to pass—would change not only their lives but probably the entire wizarding world's. These were the people that were fighting the war. And she was sitting here with them. It was a strange feeling to come to that realization.

"Well, there isn't anything we can do about it," Harry said after a moment of silence. "If we tell her to be careful, she won't listen. But I don't think that we should say anything to encourage this romance," he said the word sarcastically, "that she is cultivating."

"I'll keep my ears open for anything," Tamah said. "But most of my news comes from Aurora herself and I doubt that she's going to tell me if she's planning on screwing us over."

"Let's just hope it doesn't come to that. We need to have faith in our sister."

"If she costs us even one more life than she already has," Tamah threatened, holding up a finger, "she will regret it."

Ginny had no doubt that she would make good on her promise.

oOo

"Tamah certainly seems… dedicated to the war," Ginny said once they were back in the common room. Harry had wished Tamah a good evening after Ginny had yawned and forced her back into the castle. Harry gave her a long look, wondering if he should really start this conversation or just suggest she go to bed. She could barely keep her eyes open.

"She takes Voldemort's vendetta against Muggles very personally," he said softly.

"Why?"

"Have you ever heard of the Holocaust?" he asked after a moment. Ginny scrunched her eyebrows together in thought.

"It was during something the Muggles call War World II, right? My dad told me about it, but… I can't remember what it was about." She seemed frustrated by the fact.

"Yes, it was during World War II. A man named Hitler pretty much started the genocide. He blamed the Jews for all of Germany's problems and people—always willing to blame someone else for their mistakes—started listening to him. He gained a lot of support that way and eventually became powerful enough to start passing laws to ostracize Jews. Later, he had them taken and shipped to places called concentration camps where they were either outright killed, or forced to work under horrible conditions. It's been estimated that six million Jews were killed... simply because of who they were."

"And Tamah thinks that Voldemort is similar to Hitler?"

"In a way. I think… I think that she sometimes forgets that they are separate people. She's confused their names on more than one occasion when she gets into one of her rants about the war."

"So why does she hate Hitler so much?" Harry thought that she should have already understood the point, but then felt ashamed of himself because it wasn't her fault that she didn't know Tamah's history.

"We all started out human," Harry said. Ginny looked confused at the abrupt change in topic. Harry saw her open her mouth to interrupt, but he held up his hand. "Tamah was born in 1932 in Poland to Jewish parents. When she was eight, the Nazis—Hitler's supporters—starting rounding up people in their surrounding neighborhoods, so they went into hiding. They were found the following year when one of the neighbors of the people that were hiding them found out about them, and told. The basement that they were hiding in had an exit out into the backyard, which led into a small wooded area. The wife came and warned them while the husband distracted the police so Tamah and her family could sneak outside. They managed to get out, but there was one officer that had come around the back of the house and saw them fleeing into the woods. He yelled for the others and then chased after them. Her mother and her younger brother were captured first. Her father yelled at Tamah and her older brother to keep running and then was captured himself. Somehow they had gotten a lead on the officers and her brother made her hide in between the roots of a huge tree."

Ginny had been looking down during the entire story, but Harry could still see her expressions. He knew she was imagining the scene with horrific clarity. When he stopped in the middle of the story, she looked up. He was uncomfortable to say the least.

"What happened next?" she asked him, curiosity piqued.

"I… I don't think it'd be right for me to tell you. Perhaps I shouldn't have told you the beginning," he mumbled the last part to himself.

"Why? Why can't you tell me?"

"It's not my story to tell."

"Whose story is it then?"

"Aurora's." He figured the confusion that showed on her face was only a portion of what she felt. But there was no way he was telling her the rest. If she wanted to know, she would have to ask Aurora. Hopefully she wouldn't ask Tamah before he could see Aurora and get her to tell Ginny the story. Harry didn't want her opinion swayed by the bias that Tamah held. He glanced over when he heard her yawn.

"You've already packed right?" he asked softly.

She nodded her head that was falling against his shoulder.

"Time for bed then," he said. She must have been tired, because she went up willingly after kissing him softly on the cheek.

oOo

Harry, in his quest to learn more about Voldemort, still had not come upon anything that would help him understand why Voldemort did not die that fateful night his parents were killed. It was frustrating him to no end, but Christmas break was finally upon them and he had promised Sirius that he would come stay with him at Grimmauld Place. It was going to be wonderful, yet complete misery. Ginny was going to the Burrow. It was hard enough to leave her during the day when they went to different classes, and Harry didn't particularly like the distance from London to Ottery St. Catchpole. But Ginny had suggested that he come over for Christmas day, and bring Sirius, Tamah, and Roger. Harry liked the idea immensely and agreed to it immediately. He knew everyone would be pleased with the arrangement. Well, everyone on his side at least. Harry didn't know how the Weasleys felt about him. Or if they even knew about him at all. No one had mentioned anything to him during the Order meetings, so even if they did know Ginny was dating someone named Harry Stewart, they didn't link him to the mysterious Harry from the Order. All of that was going to change when he arrived at The Burrow. He didn't know exactly how he was going to handle it yet.

Even if things did not turn out well for whatever reason, Harry couldn't seem to find it in him to be too awful worried about it. Ginny was all that mattered. If her family liked him, then that would be great. But if they didn't, the world would still go on. He didn't see himself being a problem. He go along great with Ron when they talked during Order meetings, and Fred and George were very nice—according to Tamah. Harry hadn't really talked to them as much. The rest of the Weasleys he had only spoken to in passing, if any at all. He still hadn't met Ginny's brother Charlie, who worked in Romania with dragons. It was them knowing that their daughter was dating Harry from the Order, the one who knows a lot about Voldemort, who can plan attacks extremely well, who has a vast knowledge of Dark magic… who has killed. He didn't think that part was going to go over too well. He grimaced.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Ginny asked from his right. They were seated in a compartment on the train, which was nearing the station. Sarah and Jeremy looked up at the break in the comfortable silence.

"Just thinking about Christmas," he said vaguely. Ginny apparently understood because she patted his knee and took his hand in hers.

"It'll be fine. And if it's not, you'll always have me."

Harry knew this, of course, but it was comforting to hear it out loud anyway. The whistle blew and the train started slowing down.

"I guess we're there," Jeremy said awkwardly. Harry noted that most of the time he was around Jeremy, he always had an uncomfortable sort of tone. Almost as if he was lost. Or scared. Harry frowned. Of course he was scared.

"Come on," Ginny instructed Harry, pulling him by the arm. "You can meet my parents. I've told them almost nothing about you, so they're very anxious."

"Meet them… today?" Harry asked worriedly. Ginny hadn't said they were going to see him today.

"Well of course, silly. That way it won't be as bad on Christmas," she replied as Harry handed her trunk to her. He got his down and, with Harry in the lead, they easily made their way down the crowded steps.

"This is not going to be good," Harry mumbled.

"Why not?" Ginny asked.

Harry glanced around. He saw a bright red mass off in the distance and assumed it was Ginny's family. He pulled her out of the crowd over to a slightly secluded brick pillar and positioned her so her back was against it. He heard her heartbeat increase dramatically and her breath become shorter. He wanted to kiss her… she was right there… but that wasn't the reason he had brought her over here. He leaned in close to her ear so she would be able to hear over the clamor of the station.

"Your family knows who I am. They've met me before at Order meetings. They just don't know that I'm the same guy that's dating their daughter. How do you think they'll react when they see me with you? Dumbledore and I, we decided it was best if the Order knows nothing about me. They know my name is Harry. Nothing else. They don't know I'm still in school, except for the teachers who are part of the Order who have been sworn to secrecy. But they do know that I've killed people before. I just don't think the middle of a crowded train station is the best way to tell them their only daughter is dating a murderer."

Harry had half a mind to move his lips slightly to the left, to her mouth, but stopped himself. The other half of his mind wanted to move to her throat.

"Well, when you put it that way," Ginny said, her voice soft.

Her breath was light on his face and he couldn't help himself. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. He heard her give a small gasp of surprise before she pressed herself against him, wrapping her arms around his neck and deepening the kiss. Harry felt his lips become warmed under hers and he relished in the emotions that she stirred in him. Even the noise of the station fell away and all there was was Ginny, her soft curves melting against him and her lips on his. Reluctantly, he pulled away, Ginny still clinging to him. He wasn't sure how he had lived without this before. Without her before.

"I love you," Ginny whispered into his ear.

"I love you, too," Harry told her earnestly.

They stood wrapped up in each others arms for several moments before Harry reminded Ginny of her waiting family. She groaned, but moved away.

"I'll see you in a few days," he promised her.

"It'll seem like forever," Ginny replied.

"Just enjoy spending time with your family. It'll go by faster than you think."

Ginny looked skeptical, but started dragging her trunk towards the mass of redheads that was moving closer.

"Bye, Harry."

"Goodbye, Gin."

Harry watched from the shadows as she dragged her trunk through the slowly thinning crowd. Ron came over and helped her with it, and soon she was absorbed by the redhead group so that it was difficult to tell which one was her. Well, for anyone except Harry.

oOo

Ginny loved her family—she really did—but sometimes they just did not know when to shut up. The car ride home started out nice, but then the suffocating started. She wanted to mope about the loss of Harry by herself, which was difficult to do with interrogations coming at her from all sides. She had been extremely vague in her letters home, simply stating that she had met someone who was really nice, so naturally her parents wanted to know all about Harry. Ron wanted to know how Quidditch was going and Fred and George wanted to get a good estimate on what level their joke products had infiltrated Hogwarts. It was noisy in the car with everyone talking over each other, and she compared how different it was when she was with Harry who was the extreme opposite: calm and soft spoken. Except when he was angry, but she rarely saw that side of him and it was never directed at her. There was something… appealing about the way he got angry in her defense. She liked it in a way she never thought she would. Before she had met Harry, she hated when people treated her like someone who needed protecting. But with Harry, it was completely different. Everything was different.

Ginny closed her eyes and tried to focus her thoughts. She needed to lay some groundwork so her parents would—hopefully—take well to who Harry was. She had no idea how to go about that, though. They knew him from the Order, which was both good and bad. Ginny could not imagine her parents not respecting him if they knew him, and they had to have seen how he was during meetings, so that wasn't a problem. It was what he had done. She hoped that her parents could see the whole person, not just his… contributions (that they knew of) to the war. After imagining different scenarios in her head about how the meeting was going to go, she decided to give it up for the moment and pay attention to her family. She really had missed them.

oOo

Ginny felt the days slow as she eagerly anticipated Harry's arrival. He was to come along with Tamah and Roger for dinner that evening. Sirius had planned on joining them, but some of the Order members were meeting with a couple people who worked in the Ministry and couldn't meet any other day without arising suspicion.

The days were filled with rather mindless activities like cleaning and decorating. Sometimes the siblings would play Quidditch out on the pitch, but it started to snow on the third day and their activities were confined to the indoors. Ginny, however, planned a huge snowball fight and got everyone except her parents to play. Even Fleur came out and wasn't half bad, which was a great surprise to Ginny. She wished that Hermione had been able to come, but she was spending the break with her parents in Italy. She could tell Ron missed her terribly, but held the private belief that she missed Harry a great deal more than Ron missed Hermione.

The morning finally arrived, and Ginny was rudely awoken way too early by an exuberant Ron. Sleepily, she crawled out of bed and downstairs to the tree, under which piles of presents were stacked.

"Good morning, Ginny," her father greeted her when she sat down on the sofa between Fred and George, neither of who looked any more awake than Ginny.

She simply nodded her head slightly while her mother handed her a cup of coffee.

"Thanks, Mum," she said as she held the steaming cup in her hand. The aroma filled her head and she felt slightly more conscious.

The presents were passed around and Ginny opened hers in a daze. She received the typical Weasley sweater, some books, joke products, candy, and a few trinkets. The gifts were nice, and she thanked each family member appropriately, but all her mind could think about was Harry. He was going to be here this afternoon.

Once all the presents were opened, the Weasley clan filed into the kitchen for breakfast. As Ginny poured herself another cup of coffee, she wondered what Harry was doing.

oOo

"It says they're alright," Roger told Tamah. Harry was holding a letter that Adam and Jane had finally sent from France. It hadn't been extremely difficult to track down a wizard and… persuade… him to use his owl, they had just wanted to wait until they had news to share before actually sending a letter. Nothing in it was specific, just some vague, general comments. But from what Harry had taken, they had found two others willing to come back with them. One of them had already known that wizards existed. From the letter, Harry guessed they were going to stay a little while longer to try and find at least one more willing to help. Tamah seemed to think that they should come back home.

"Something just doesn't feel right," she complained. "I don't want anything to happen to them."

"They can take care of themselves," Roger reassured her, though to Harry it sounded like he was reassuring himself just as much as Tamah.

"I know that. But something's _wrong_."

"What's wrong?" Harry asked her, folding the letter up and placing it in the fire.

"I don't know." She threw up her hands in frustration.

"Are you sure it has to do with Mum and Dad?" Harry questioned her gently.

"No. But I still think they should come home."

Harry couldn't tell whether she was just missing her parents or if something really was wrong. There wasn't anything he could do about it now, so he just let it go. He needed to leave for Ginny's soon, anyway. He said goodbye to Tamah and Roger, who were going to come by Ginny's after the general shock had worn off, picked up Ginny's present and Apparated to the nearest village. They hadn't really done anything special that morning. Tamah and Roger never celebrated holidays because they saw no need, and Sirius wished Harry a merry Christmas and gave him a gift before running off somewhere—probably Hogwarts. Harry didn't mind so much. Holidays were nice, but he preferred the lazy days where he could pretend there was no Voldemort and just spend time with Ginny. Today all he could think of was the people who wouldn't be having a good Christmas because of Voldemort.

He walked slowly towards the Burrow, consumed with his depressing thoughts. As soon as he was in sight of the front, Ginny came running out. Harry laid the large box down on the ground and she jumped into his arms. He spun her around once before kissing her thoroughly. He heard a couple of her family members walk near the front room, so he put her down and took her hand after picking up the present.

"Is that for me?" she asked happily.

Harry looked surprised. "Was I suppose to get you something?" he asked anxiously. Ginny tugged on his arm slightly and grinned.

"Yes."

"Well, then it's a good thing I brought this, now isn't it?"

"Depends on what it is," she said playfully.

"I know you'll love it."

"Well then, let me open it!"

He sighed loudly and gave her the box. They were at the front door now, but Harry could tell her family was sitting in the living room and not near enough to hear. Ginny tore off the wrapping paper and opened the box. Inside, shimmering in the sun, lay a new Firebolt. She squealed with delight and hugged Harry, the broom in one hand.

"It's perfect!" she exclaimed. "Let's go ride it."

As much as Harry wanted to delay the inevitable, he suggested that it was time that her parents met him. There would be plenty of opportunities to try out her present later. She reluctantly agreed and led the way into the house.

oOo

Ginny knew that it was going to be difficult for her parents to reconcile the fact that the boy she was dating was indeed the man from the Order. She thought that they would be okay with it, given a little bit of time. However, she didn't expect the reactions of her brothers, who were first to greet them when they walked into the door.

"Ginny, where'd you go?" Ron asked, his voice trailing off when he saw the Firebolt in her hand. He didn't seem to have noticed Harry standing behind her.

"Woah. Where'd you get that?" he asked, fingering the handle. Fred and George appeared and were as entranced by the broom as Ron.

"Harry got it for me," Ginny replied as she stepped aside so Harry could move forward.

"Oh hey Harry," Ron said, and then looked back at the broom. A couple of seconds passed, and he looked from the broom to Harry, then stared outright at Harry.

"No way!" he exclaimed. Fred and George started laughing and Bill came in to see what was going on.

"Hello, Harry," he greeted carefully. "Has something happened?"

Harry smiled. "No," he said. "Ginny invited me and my family over… so, um, here I am." He shrugged. "Tamah and Roger are coming later."

"Didn't you know, Bill?" George asked him.

"Oh we figured out rather quickly—" Fred continued.

"That our darling sister her—"

"Was dating _the_ Harry."

"And wee have been waiting—"

"And waiting—"

"For this exact moment," they finished together. Immediately afterwards, Ginny's mother walked in to see what all the commotion was about. She came to a dead stop and her mouth slightly fell open. Ginny wondered if the twins had really planned that, or their timing was just that good.

But they had known! That irked Ginny to no end. They had known and hadn't said anything. She wondered how they found out. She was glad to note that neither the twins nor Ron seemed at all upset by the idea that she was dating Harry.

Her mother on the other hand…

"Good afternoon, Harry," she said politely. "Does Dumbledore have a message for us?"

Ah, denial.

"No."

_Come on, Harry,_ Ginny begged him silently. _Say it, say it._

"Ginny invited me here to meet her family, even though I told her that I had already met everyone."

Ginny smiled. Harry did not cower before her mother, for which she was extremely

grateful at this moment.

"I… see," her mother replied. "Well, make yourself at home. Lunch is going to be in a couple hours."

"Oh I'm not going to stay for lunch, Mrs. Weasley. Tamah and Roger are coming in a couple of minutes to say hello and then we have to be somewhere."

Ginny could almost see her mother's mind at work. Harry said that they had never met Tamah and Roger before, but knew them to be Harry's siblings. Ginny had overheard her parents talking before about how people could just leave their children for months at a time. Ginny didn't give it much thought, she knew they didn't understand the situation in the slightest.

"Wonderful," she replied. "I can't wait to meet them." And then walked into the kitchen from which pots clanging together could be heard. Ginny couldn't tell if she was sincere or not. Harry stiffened beside her. She wondered if he had used Legilimency on her mother. The thought bothered her. He didn't have the right.

"Well it seems congratulations are in order," Fred said to George in an official voice.

"I couldn't agree more," George replied.

One conjured glasses while the other summoned a label-less bottle. They filled the glasses with some red liquid and distributed them among the siblings. Ginny noticed that Bill was not among the group and wondered what he thought of Harry.

"To the new couple," Ron said raising his glass.

"To Harry, for being who he is," George said.

"And to Ginny for picking him. I've never seen that expression on Mum's face before. Priceless."

The three brothers raised their glasses and drank. Ginny lifted the glass hesitantly before gulping it down. It was bitter and left an odd aftertaste in her mouth. She saw Harry surreptitiously vanish his.

"Where'd Bill go?" she asked.

"Probably to find Fleur," Ron replied.

"Ah," Ginny remarked, uninterested. She didn't particularly care for Fleur and thought Bill could have done much better for himself.

"Don't be like that, he really loves her and she loves him," Harry whispered in her ear.

"Now, now, Harry, don't be like that," Fred said when he saw the two. "Please, do share," he said, gesturing to the group.

"I simply asked Ginny how she survived, with you guys as her brothers."

"Ouch, Harry. That hurt," George complained. Ginny could tell none of them were upset though.

Harry shrugged and smiled. "You asked."

There was a soft knock at the door and George opened it up.

"Tamah!" he exclaimed and she gave him a hug.

"Hey now, where's mine?" Fred asked, coming to stand by George. She hugged him too and then introduced herself to Ron. Roger hung back and Harry introduced him to the room in general, naming everyone even though Roger already knew who they were.

After watching Fred and George with Tamah for a few minutes, she knew exactly how they had found out she was dating Harry. They all moved into the family room where her father was reading the paper. He did not seem surprised by Harry, so Ginny figured he must have been by the door when her mother had met him. Her father was delighted to meet Tamah and Roger, and struck up a conversation about Muggle inventions that Tamah quickly became bored of and excused herself. Roger didn't seem to mind, however, and spoke to him for quite some time.

Ginny's mother came in carrying a tray of tea and biscuits and was introduced to Tamah and Roger. Bill and Fleur came in behind Ginny's mother, and the group talked amiably for a little bit. Soon—and too soon for Ginny—Harry confessed that it was time for them to be going, and everyone wished all three of them a pleasant evening.

Ginny walked them to the door.

"Here," she said, handing Harry a small, square gift. "I know it's not much, but…"

Harry opened it up and found a small picture album. He flipped through the pages and found pictures of Ginny that had been taken at Hogwarts. But there were some at the end from when she was younger.

"I always wish I have pictures that I can look at when you're not here, so I thought maybe you'd like to have some, too."

"I love it, Gin," he told her earnestly and gently kissed her.

"I wish you would stay longer," she entreated him.

"You're mum was already glaring at us because we didn't take any food or drink. I don't think she'd take well to us not eating lunch, either."

"Have you been reading her mind?" Ginny asked, but it didn't sound like much of an accusation.

"Not purposely. Her thoughts were just sort of… coming out of her head. It was hard for me not to hear them."

Ginny felt horrible for asking, but she had to know. "What does she think of you?"

"That you shouldn't be dating me," Harry replied after a moment. Tamah scoffed. "She's battling with herself about saying something to you or not. She wants you to make your own decisions—to an extent—she just thinks you're making the wrong one."

Ginny tried to hide her disappointment.

"Don't worry about it," Tamah told her. "She'll come around. I promise."

That made Ginny feel slightly better, and she waved to them from the door right before they disappeared down the road.

When she walked back into the living room, it was completely silent. She had that feeling that they had just been talking about her. Great. Just what she wanted.

The rest of the day was awkward. Her parents and Bill did not mention Harry at all. She had a feeling that it was because they didn't want to comment on how he was in the Order and all the things they knew about him. Ginny wasn't suppose to know details like that—her not being in the Order at all—but Ron, Fred, and George had no qualms. Fred and George were more informed about Ginny's relationship than she could have even imagined. They knew she knew about the Order and Harry, and had apparently told Ron. Therefore they took the opportunity to tease her about him for the rest of the day. The only time they could get her to blush, though, was when they pointed out that his name was Harry… just like Harry Potter. They quickly picked up on that, and realized if they started calling her Mrs. Harry Potter, she'd blush even more. If only they knew he actually _was_ Harry Potter… she cringed to think about it.

oOo

The light that filtered in through the curtains was dull, and Harry knew Sirius wouldn't be up for another hour or so. Still, he was extremely bored just sitting in his room—complete with a bed to not arose suspicion—and he wandered over to Roger's room next door. The walls had been reconstructed into bookshelves by Harry. Three of the four walls were completely filled with books, broken up in places by a window or door. Roger had wasted no time replacing his favorites that had to have been burned. The fourth wall held binders and binders of paper, whose pages were covered with diagrams and charts and scribbling. Roger's plans and creations. At the moment, he was sitting at the desk writing on some paper that did not appear to belong to any notebook.

"What are you working on?" Harry asked, coming up behind him. Roger jumped as if shocked and quickly filed the paper away in a rather massive stack in a desk drawer.

"You scared me Harry," he said shiftily.

"You didn't hear me coming?" Harry asked. Disbelief colored his voice.

"I did, but I didn't really think about it. I was so caught up…" Roger cleared his throat. "So what brings you here?" he asked in his regular voice.

Roger was hiding something from him, and had been since August. Harry didn't know what it was, yet wanted to desperately. He had even confronted him about it several times but somehow, through a twisting of words that Harry still did not understand, Roger had either avoided the question completely or excused himself from the conversation.

"I was bored," Harry answered him. "And just can't bring myself to do anything constructive."

"Everyone needs a break sometime," Roger said simply.

"Including you."

Roger ignored the comment as Harry knew he would. They were all tired. Not physically, but mentally and emotionally. Tamah and Roger had been following many of the Death Eaters for quite some time. They usually led Tamah and Roger many of the attacks on Muggles, which Tamah and Roger then stopped, but then—since the Death Eaters that they had been following were no longer alive—they would have to find new ones to track, which sometimes proved time consuming.

And then on top of that Roger was always sketching and writing and reading. Harry knew that he liked the read, but before Harry found out about Voldemort, Roger would read fiction a lot. Harry knew that not one book in his bedroom had an ounce of fantasy in it. The thought saddened him. He resolved to buy Roger a purely fictional book as soon as he got the chance.

Harry went over to the window to look out at the street below. It was completely deserted, and he assumed everyone was still asleep, recovering from last night's festivities.

"Harry—" Roger started, but was interrupted by the sound of Tamah coming up the stairs. The door burst open not a second later and Harry was assaulted by her high, anxious voice.

"Go to Ginny. Now," she commanded. Harry didn't need anymore than that. He took off out of the house and to the street where he could safely Apparate. He was in Ottery St. Catchpole the next second and took off running toward the Burrow. Another three seconds and he was coming up on the property. He counted fourteen black robes surrounding the house. Lights from spells were flashing and shouts could easily be heard. Somehow he ran even faster. He had to find Ginny.

Six of the Death Eaters—for that was what he assumed they were—went inside the house as Harry reached it. Ron, Fred, and Mr. Weasley were outside dueling with the mass of black. As Harry—almost invisible—passed four of the cloaked figures, he hit them each on the side of their head with his fist. They immediately fell to the ground and did not get back up. The three Weasleys were stunned for an instant before jumping back into the battle.

Harry ran into the house, killing another two Death Eaters that he passed on his way up the stairs to Ginny. He heard her and George fighting with four on the second level. He rounded corner and saw her: blood was running down her arm from a cut. Harry was momentarily frozen by it. Fascinated, he stared at the way the crimson made its way down her pale, freckled arm…

Someone cried out and one of the Death Eaters fell heavily to the ground. George soon followed and Harry tried to clear his head. Ginny needed his help. A purple light was streaking towards her…

He jumped in front of her—no one had even noticed his presence—and the beam hit the end of his shoulder. Ginny fell backward from the force and hit her head on a nearby doorframe. Harry—assured that she was still breathing—attacked the two remaining Death Eaters by bashing in their skulls with a simple jerk of his hand. Quickly, and using all his willpower not to think about what he was doing, he fixed the hex's damage. He then laid Ginny on her bed, made sure that George was simply unconscious and then went back outside to help with the others. Mrs. Weasley had joined the crew and they were all still fighting the four remaining Death Eaters. Harry's movements were indiscernible as he took out his wand and tracked the four down one by one, Stunning them and binding them tightly with conjured ropes. The Weasleys seemed enormously relieved at their apparent success and the fighting dwindled and then stopped once Harry found the last Death Eater, hiding near the edge of the woods. He was about to send them all to the middle of the yard so one of the Weasleys could keep an eye on them when he heard a rustling in the trees.

"Harry Potter. I told him you would be here." The woman was short and thin, with straight brown hair and bright, red eyes.

"Olivia," Harry acknowledged. He made it so his voice held none of the revulsion he felt.

"Make it easy on yourself. You must know why I am here. Hand over the girl, and I'll let you go in one piece." Her voice was smooth and silky. It was lower than Tamah's or Ginny's and had a certain allure to it. But Harry didn't register any of that.

They had been after Ginny. Voldemort was targeting Ginny. He couldn't breathe.

"No," was all he could get out.

"No? Pity. I wish he had sent me in the first place, no one can screw up a job like a human can, but he was so confident that fourteen of his followers would be able to take a little girl." She laughed delightedly. "But I convinced him that you would be here so he allowed me to come, and a good thing too, because they're all dead, aren't they?"

Harry shrugged, calculating his chances against her. He had never fought one of the Cold Ones before, and knew it would be challenging just by the way she held herself.

Olivia must have realized that he was not in the mood to chat because her stance suddenly changed into a crouch and she hurled herself towards him. He reacted on instinct and swerved, catching her arm and bending it back. A crack was heard and she let out a low, feral growl. This continued for several minutes, but Harry soon realized he was much faster than her. She hadn't touched him yet, but she had several cracked limbs and her side was bent at a strange angle. Harry was pretty sure she would run if he made one more hit.

He turned slightly and his wand fell out of his back pocket and onto the ground.

Stupid! He had a huge advantage over her that in the tense moments he had forgotten about. In an invisible movement he picked his wand off of the ground and pointed it at Olivia's retreating figure. She must have bolted as soon as she saw the stick start to fall. Harry fired one blasting hex in her direction but it hit the tree she had just disappeared behind. Knowing that she would not be back, he pocketed his wand and walked at a normal pace back to the house. As he approached he heard Dumbledore inside along with the Weasleys. They were planning on taking Ginny and George to see Madam Pomphrey at Hogwarts. Fred was going, also, because he had a broken hand. Harry walked in the front door and Mrs. Weasley let out a small gasp of surprise. Harry ignored her and turned to Dumbledore.

"Ginny hit her head pretty hard," he told him. "I'll take her to Madam Pomphrey."

Dumbledore nodded. "Wait for us there. We'll be there shortly."

Harry was about to say that he wasn't planning on leaving her side until she was better, but decided to simply agree. He went upstairs and gently took Ginny off the bed, holding her sideways in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. After he walked out the front door and it had closed behind him, he heard Mrs. Weasley ask why Dumbledore had let Harry take her when one of her parents were perfectly capable, especially since it was obvious she needed protecting.

"It is not my wish to insult anyone in this room. You are all very capable wizards. But if there was one person in the world that I would trust to protect your daughter, it's Harry Stewart."

"But Albus," Mrs. Weasley protested. "You know the things he's done, what he's capable of. Doesn't any of that worry you? She's barely seventeen. She can't know what she's getting into."

"Quite the contrary. I believe that she knows more about it than anyone else," he replied gently.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Monster

**Chapter 10: Monster**

It was hard for Ginny to open her eyes. The light seemed blinding and it increased the ache in her head. She groaned and tried to sit up anyway. She couldn't remember where she was. She tried to remember what had happened last. Then she recalled the purple light coming towards her… and being pushed out of the way. It all came back to her.

"Harry!" she tried to say, but it only came out as a soft whisper. Her throat was parched. She felt something cold stroking her cheek. Slowly she opened her eyes and focused past the light. There he was, sitting in a chair by the bed she was lying on. She felt relieved. He seemed okay, but she thought he looked a lot more worried than he ought. He handed her a glass of water. After gulping it down as fast as she could, she started bombarding him with questions.

"Are you okay? You're not hurt are you? Did that curse hit you?" She would have gone on, but he took her hand in his and held it to his face. He didn't look so very worried anymore. In fact, Ginny thought he was smiling slightly.

"You're the one in the hospital bed and you're asking me if I'm okay?" She took a moment to answer, relishing in the fact that her hand was still next to his face.

"That curse hit you, I saw it. Are you sure you're fine?"

"It hit my arm but… I'm fine now." He put their hands in his lap and stared at them.

"What does that mean?" she asked anxiously.

"Can we not talk about this right now?" he said quickly, looking over the bed. She looked around and realized they were in the hospital wing… and her mother was walking in.

She nodded and turned to find her mother, eyes red and cheeks stained, by her side.

"Ginny dear, are you alright?" Harry tried to pull his hand out of hers, but she held on to him even tighter. He reluctantly gave in, but moved their hands so they were on the bed beside her.

"I'm fine Mum, really. Just a headache. Is everyone okay?" She looked around for her absent family.

"Yes, yes. Fred had a broken hand but Madam Pomphrey fixed him right up." She looked her daughter over, pausing for a second too long on their intertwined hands. "Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm okay right now." In fact, she was more than okay. Harry was still holding her hand and her mother hadn't commented on it yet. A door opened and she looked up to see Madam Pomphrey come bustling in with a tray of repulsing potions. Ginny shuddered at the thought. Harry leaned down to her ear.

"If you take all of the potions, you'll be able to leave. So don't fight with her; we all need to get out of here sooner than later," he whispered. She looked at him pleadingly and he shook his head, gesturing to the tray of potions.

"Miss Weasley, I need you to sit up and take these four potions. After that you are free to go." The last part was said with some reluctance, and Ginny wondered if Harry had spoken with her while she was asleep.

She was just finishing up the last potion—her headache was gone now and she could see straight again—when Dumbledore walked in. Her mother cast a wary glance in his direction and stood up.

"I'm glad to see you are up Miss Weasley," he said kindly.

"Thank you," she said.

"Albus, I really don't like this," her mother said fretfully.

"It's the only way we can be assured that you all are safe," he replied easily. Ginny was confused. It was obvious that they had decided on something since the Burrow was attacked, but Ginny hadn't the faintest idea what they could be discussing. She turned to Harry.

"We're all going to stay with Sirius," he said simply to her.

"Really?" Ginny was excited. She had heard such wonderful things about him that she was eagerly looking forward to finally meeting him.

"Don't get too excited though, the house is rather… foreboding. It's not a nice place to live to say the least," Harry pointed out.

"Because of his parents?" She noticed her mother's surprise at her background knowledge. Perhaps she shouldn't let on that she knew so much.Harry nodded. She wanted to ask him if Sirius's house was still the headquarters for the Order, but didn't know if Dumbledore had given him permission to tell her about it or if he had broke some rule to do so.

Her mother sighed. "Come on, Ginny dear. We need to get going," she said as she helped her out of bed. Ginny took the clothes that Harry handed her and quickly got changed behind closed curtains while Dumbledore and Harry discussed something that she couldn't hear.

"How are we getting there?" she asked once she was fully clothed.

"We're going to Floo to the Hog's Head and then I'm going to drive," Harry told her. "Now remember what Dumbledore tells you."

Ginny didn't have time to react to the statement before Dumbledore leaned over and said softly, "The Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix is located at number twelve Grimmauld Place."

Ginny simply nodded. So it was still headquarters.

"We best get going," Dumbledore said and ushered them out of the infirmary and into the hall where they began the silent trek to his office to use the Floo.

Harry went first through the Floo, and helped both women out of the fireplace when they came through.

"The car's parked a little ways away," he said, leading them through the crowd of people in the bar and out into the biting cold. Ginny was glad that Harry had thought to get her scarf and gloves along with her coat. She noticed that he did not try to touch her in any way. She wondered if it was because her mother was there or because he didn't want to make her colder than she already was. After walking through the village, they came upon a very nice car parked near a run down building. It was low and sleek, and the midnight blue paint seemed to shimmer slightly in the setting sun. Harry opened the passenger door for Ginny and then held the back door open for her mother to climb in the back.

"Wow," was all Ginny could say once they were all safely in the car. Harry turned the ignition and Ginny heard the car purr as it turned on. It was a low, powerful sound. It reminded her in a twisted way of Harry, quiet yet strong. Harry expertly pushed buttons and Ginny heard Christmas music start playing softly and heat began to surround her… from every direction.

"Harry," she started very softly and uneasily. "Why is my back warm?" He looked at her and laughed loudly.

"It's called a seat warmer. It heats the seat so you get warmer quicker."

"It's… wonderful!" Ginny was already getting toasty. She took off her gloves, scarf, and coat as Harry pulled on a stick next to him and the car started moving. They almost flew down the roads. Ginny didn't know how fast they were going, but she was pretty sure that Muggles didn't drive this fast. The trees whizzed by at breakneck speeds and she thought that she didn't even go this fast on a broom.

"Harry," she asked after a while of just zoning out to Christmas music and Harry's humming under his breath to the songs.

"Hm?"

"Will Tamah and Roger be there?"

"I don't think you'd be able to pull them away from the house actually."

"Why do you say that? I thought it was a horrible place." Ginny was aware that her mother was listening intently to their conversation. She had almost felt her eyes narrowing when Ginny first interrupted the silence.

"The library there holds many books that Roger hasn't read yet. And Tamah has grown a very soft spot for Sirius. Almost as if he's her favorite uncle or her… older brother."

"Oh," Ginny said somewhat sadly. Harry sounded like he thought that Tamah had chosen Sirius over him. "She still loves you, you know. She always will. It's what sisters do." Ginny spoke soft enough that she couldn't even hear herself speak. She knew Harry did though, because he nodded his head faintly. She hoped that he really didn't believe that Tamah was replacing him with Sirius. From what she had seen, Harry was the big brother that Tamah never…

"Harry?" Ginny asked suddenly. "So Tamah's going to be there, right?" As if he knew what she was thinking, he replied adamantly.

"Yes, she will be there. But I've told you before."

"But—" she whispered as low as she could. He shook his head steadfastly. Ginny didn't understand why she couldn't just ask Tamah to finish the story that Harry had started telling her. It was Tamah's story after all. Why would he be so intent on her asking Aurora of all people? Ginny decided that she would ask Tamah anyway. Harry wasn't the boss of her and it wasn't any of his business anyway. If she asked and Tamah was not averse to telling her, she saw no reason why it should be any of Harry's concern.

oOo

Harry parked the car along the curb in a Muggle part of London. The houses were close together, but it looked normal enough. Ginny wondered why Sirius's parents—who had had a strong hatred of Muggles—would have chosen to live among them.

"Ginny," Harry said immediately drawing her attention away from the houses. "As soon as you get out of the car you need to walk as fast as you can to the yard between numbers eleven and thirteen."

She didn't have time to respond though, for once she got over her momentary worry, he was at her side, opening the car door for her. Ginny hoped he had remembered to walk normally; her mother was probably watching every move the two of them made. He held her hand as he helped her out of the car. It was the first contact they had had since he held her hand as she stepped out of the fireplace at the Hog's Head. Ginny stood by the car as he held open the door for her mother to get out.

"Hurry up," he said encouragingly as soon as they started walking towards the house labeled eleven. Ginny saw him glancing around the area frantically, on edge as if he was expecting another attack.

"But I don't see the house," she told him worriedly. "We're going to the wrong house."

"Just think about what Dumbledore told you," he said as he began to walk a little faster.

Ginny was almost jogging to keep up with his stride and her mother wasn't faring any better. She thought back to Dumbledore's words. Suddenly a house grew into her view, squeezing in between numbers eleven and thirteen. Ginny had never seen anything like it and she stumbled a little in her surprise. Her mother had been there already, Ginny decided, when she confidently went up and opened the front door.

"Come on," Harry said, taking her arm and almost dragging her inside, casting a wary glance at the street before shutting the door with a resounding thud. Ginny thought he wanted to assure himself that they were safe in the house. Instead, the sound brought on an awful wailing and going on that Ginny had half a mind to cover her ears with her hands even though she knew it wouldn't help.

"What the hell is that?" she asked Harry.

"Follow me and I'll show you if you want."

She followed him into the next room where there was a large painting of an ugly, yellowing woman who was, at the moment, screaming obscenities at them. Harry glared her down and, in a voice that Ginny had only heard him use with Malcolm, told the woman to shut her mouth. To Ginny's surprise, she did just that.

"Ginny, as much as I wish that you didn't have to come into contact with such a… person, I suppose there is no escaping her. This is Sirius's mother."

"Oh I don't think I'd call her that, Harry. More like bigoted bitch, don't you think?"

"You!" the painting screamed. "How dare you bring more of those—"

"I thought I told you to shut up," Harry growled at her. She glared at him but remained silent.

"Ginny," Harry said, taking her hand and pulling her closer to him. "I'd like you to meet Sirius. Sirius, this is Ginny."

"It's wonderful to finally meet you Ginny," Sirius started. "Harry talks nonstop about you. It's nice to be able to put a face with the name. And you're just as pretty as he said you were. I thought he was exaggerating there for a little bit, but obviously he wasn't." Sirius smiled charmingly at her and Ginny giggled.

"It's great to meet you too, Sirius. I'm just sorry it's under such circumstances."

"Well, I think that we'll leave before you steal her away from me Sirius," Harry said laughing. "We've got to go find Tamah and Roger."

"Fine. Ruin my fun."

"It's what I live for."

"Don't I know it," Sirius replied, shaking his head. "If you must… Roger's in the library and when I saw Tamah last she was in the kitchen. I'm not quite sure why seeing as you guys don't—" he abruptly shut his mouth and cast a sidelong glance at Ginny.

Harry laughed. "I'm not quite sure how you've managed to keep us a secret for as long as you have, what with you slipping up like that. But no matter, she already knows."

"Really?" Sirius asked, surprised. "You didn't tell me that." He turned to Ginny. "You are a very brave young lady," he said in mock seriousness, taking her hand.

"Um… thanks?" Ginny wasn't sure exactly what was going on. She thought that they were talking about Harry being a vampire, but surely he hadn't told Sirius? To Ginny it seemed like Harry tried to keep that as much of a secret as possible. Perhaps they were a lot closer than Ginny had previously thought.

"You shouldn't make fun of her Sirius," Harry told him, taking Ginny's hand out of Sirius's and keeping it in his own. Ginny was surprised at the huge difference in the way her hand felt in Harry's compared to Sirius's. "She took the news a lot better than you did."

"I was the perfect example of complete acceptance. I highly doubt that her reaction was nearly as good."

Harry rolled his eyes. "There's just no stopping him," he half-whispered to Ginny.

"Don't you have people to see?" Sirius asked him.

"Yes, we do," Harry replied, walking with Ginny to the kitchen. Sirius followed behind them.

"Harry!" Ginny heard a voice yell, but didn't see anyone except her mother until Tamah was suddenly there, hugging Harry around the middle.

"Hey," he said simply, letting go of Ginny's hand to lift Tamah up and spin her around once.

"Are you okay Ginny?" she asked with concern, coming over to take both of her hands in her own.

Ginny was surprised at the girl's concern. "I'm fine. I just hit my head, that's it."

Tamah looked her over and stood there for a moment. She nodded her acceptance and let go of her hands, saying something quickly to Harry that was too low for Ginny to hear. He looked at her inquisitively but didn't do anything else.

"Would anyone like some tea?" Ginny heard her mother ask the room.

"I'd like some, if you don't mind Molly," Sirius said politely to her. She smiled at him and went over to the stove.

"I'll have some too," Ginny added.

"I'll be back later," Harry whispered quickly in Ginny's ear. She looked at him curiously but knew by the expression on his face that she wasn't invited to come with him. She glanced at her mother who had her back turned, and kissed him quickly on the cheek. Ginny went and sat down at the table next to Sirius as Tamah and Harry glided silently out of the room.

oOo

The dark and gloomy house seemed to contribute to Harry's mood. He wasn't happy about Ginny having to stay in this wretched house, but he knew it was the safest place for her. Plus, Sirius needed the company desperately. Tamah and Roger were there, of course, but Roger did not talk much and Harry was sure that Sirius needed adults to talk to too. While Tamah may be old, sometimes her mind was still that of a child. It took years of practice for Harry to finally be able to tell when she was acting with the younger part of her mind and when she was using the more mature, complex one that she had gained with her creation. Right now he knew that she was using the childish side, the one that had a difficult time seeing the big picture when all it wanted was to be selfish. That side was warring with the other side… the one who thirsted for revenge, however convoluted the reasons behind it may be.

He followed Tamah to the library where they found Roger seated, flipping quickly through a huge tome. He looked up once Harry shut the door and waved his hand, making it impossible for eavesdroppers to hear anything that was going to be said.

"Tamah said you wanted to talk," Harry started. Roger looked unsure as he spoke.

"People have started to go missing again," he said very softly. "Voldemort must be expanding his army."

After October, the masses of people that were going missing suddenly dwindled and stopped. It was natural that a few people disappeared here and there, but now it seemed that they were going in large numbers.

"When did you hear about this?" Harry asked him.

"I read it in the paper this morning." Oh. He hadn't read the paper in light of his worry for Ginny.

"Twelve people in the last two days. I've been thinking about it and I think I know why. Remember when I was created? What happened?" Harry nodded his head. "I think that there's fighting among the newborns. I think they're killing each other."

"So he needs to replace them?"

"It's a hunch."

Harry looked around the room. Tamah was sitting cross-legged on the floor and not looking at either of them.

"There's something else, isn't there?" Harry asked him after it was apparent nobody else was going to say anything.

"If my theory's correct, then he's gathering people again. And, to err on the side of caution, he'll probably take more than less. But he already has vampires that have proven themselves capable of controlling themselves, or at least, not getting themselves killed. So now he's creating more vampires _and_ has the means to look after more of them than he did in August."

"His army's getting bigger," Harry stated, appalled at the idea.

"But I'm not sure yet. I'm meeting with Aurora the first of January. If she brings us information that coincides with my hunch—"

Tamah let out a soft sigh.

"Then I'm going to New York to find a few old friends I think will come to our aid," he finished.

Now Harry understood Tamah's mood. Once Roger left—there was no doubt in Harry's mind that he would—then the family would be spread out, something that hadn't happened before. They had always stuck together before. And now Tamah felt she was being deserted.

"Tamah…" Harry started, but didn't know what he could say to make her feel better.

"I'm fine, really," she half-heartedly assured them. "I really am glad that he's going. It will be a great help to the war. It's just… once he's gone… I'll have nobody left," she whispered.

"Of course you will," Harry said as he went to sit by her, putting his arm over her shoulders and pulling her to his chest. "I'll be at Hogwarts and you can come and visit me anytime. Or I'll come here. Whichever you prefer. And Sirius will always be here whenever you need to talk to somebody. And you have Mrs. Weasley, too. The Weasleys will be living here for quite some time, I think. They're nice people… you know this. And Aurora will be around too. And I'm sure Mum and Dad will be back soon." He held her tighter. "We're not leaving you." His voice was barely audible, even to their ears.

"I know," Tamah sighed, and pulled away. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Tamah smiled, hugged him around the neck, and then went over to Roger.

"I really appreciate what you're doing," she said, hugging him tightly.

"I just hope it works."

oOo

That night, Ginny snuck into Harry's room after everyone else had gone to sleep. It was hard for her to stop thinking about how Harry was okay after being hit with a severing hex. He said he was going to explain later, but he never did. She had a feeling he was avoiding it, and wanted to find out why.

"Hey, Gin," Harry said after she had closed the door silently behind her. "What's up?"

He was sitting up in bed with a book in his lap. It was thick with yellowing pages and, after he closed it, Ginny tried to read the title but there didn't appear to be one.

"Earlier, you said you'd tell me what happened after I was knocked out." Well, it wasn't exactly what had been said, but that left it open for Harry to talk more. She loved to hear him talk. About anything, really. Even if she didn't understand. Just the sound of his voice…

"Are you even listening?" Harry asked.

"Of course I am," Ginny said indignantly. "I just… didn't catch that last bit."

Harry chuckled and repeated. "Are you sure you want to know?" His tone was warning.

"Oh. Well of course I am," she said without hesitation.

"I didn't have time to put up a shield," Harry said slowly, unwillingly.

"So it did hit you?" Ginny asked, disbelieving.

"Sort of… pretty much… yeah. Yeah, it did," he finally admitted.

"I don't think I follow you. You were hit with a severing hex, yet you're fine?"

"Technically speaking…" Harry sounded really reluctant now. "My arm was, in a way, severed."

"I see," Ginny said, but she really didn't. His arm was fine, with no visible mark, and looking wonderful as usual.

Harry wouldn't look at her when he spoke. His voice was small and almost inaudible. "It reattached itself."

"What?" Ginny didn't think she had heard him correctly. "You mean you fixed it with magic."

"No. I mean, it reattached itself." He still spoke softly, but she could tell that now he had said it, he needed to convince her. The thing was, she didn't need convincing. She was, not used to, but easily persuaded that these strange and impossible things that Harry told her about were the truth. She knew Harry wouldn't lie to her.

Harry opened his mouth, but Ginny beat him to it. "I don't want to hear the details," she told him.

"I wasn't going to give them to you," he replied.

It was silent for several moments as Ginny mulled over the fact that he had lost an arm, and then gained it back with no magic involved.

"Did it hurt?"

"Yeah, but everything sort of dulls in comparison to how painful it is to become a vampire."

Ginny thought for a few more moments.

"Well," she started off. "I guess that's just another one of the perks, now isn't it?"

Harry smiled slightly. "If you like to think of it that way, then go right ahead. I personally think it just shows how hard it is to actually get rid of us."

"And I like to think that's a good thing too!" Ginny exclaimed. "I don't want you to leave."

"And I don't want to. But what about all the others out there? The Cold Ones? They have the same qualities that I do."

Ginny wondered how she slept so fitfully at night, knowing what she knew.

oOo

It was difficult for Ginny to be with her parents, Ron and Hermione (who had arrived just before she had), Sirius, and Harry all in the same house. Awkward was more likely the word. Ginny didn't like being far from Harry, but then again she didn't like the scrutinizing looks she got from her mother or the calculating ones from Hermione. Ron seemed to be on the same page as Sirius. Tease the both of them. At every opportunity. Apparently Ron and Harry had become friends during the Order meetings and while Harry took the teasing good naturedly, Ginny was less than pleased. It was especially horrible when Ron told Harry about how she was obsessed with Harry Potter, evening pointing out that they have the same first name and that he should probably be worried about her painting a scar on his forehead. Ginny didn't know when she had heard Harry laugh so much. She asked him as soon as Ron was out of earshot why he wasn't more bothered by their comments.

"Because their teasing means they accept me," Harry said happily. Ginny didn't say anything about it after that, but got Ron back as often as she could with comments about Hermione. Nevertheless, he wasn't deterred, especially with Sirius there to back him up. Tamah liked to get in on it too, but she never did it when there was anybody around. Roger was always polite and never once made Ginny feel embarrassed.

The first meal that Ginny ate at Grimmauld Place had been surprising. The first day, Ginny had arrived right before dinner. It was expected that all three of the Stewarts sat down with the rest of those that had stayed for dinner; Ginny knew they were all very polite. But she could not conceal her astonishment when all three of them put some food on their plate, and then ate it. Harry had elbowed her and she had quickly looked down to hide her shocked expression.

He had explained that night that it was possible for them to eat food, it just tasted like dirt. They had to keep up appearances for the Order. That was why Tamah and Roger had to get all of their information either from spying on the Order meetings or secondhand from Sirius. Only Dumbledore and Sirius knew of their secret.

The next few days flew by in a flurry of Order members and essays. Ginny had completely forgotten about her homework until she saw Roger reading in the living room one day. Cursing her stupidity, she spent the next day locked up in the dark and dingy confinement that was her room. Harry spent most of his time with her, writing things down on pieces and pieces of parchment, or reading large books that had disturbing titles. She asked him about them once and he said that they were about Dark Magic. She asked why he would read such a book and he said that that way he would know more about Voldemort and what he was up against. Ginny wondered to herself why he talked like he would be the one facing Voldemort. Wasn't the entire purpose of the Order to bring him down together? But she didn't want to pry because when she asked once about why he was so sure that _he_ needed to be prepared to kill Voldemort, he became uncomfortable and mumbled something about how everyone needed to be prepared, not just him. She hadn't yet thought of a tactful way to bring it back up.

The desk that was in the room was filthy and Ginny hadn't felt like cleaning it off, so she worked on her homework on her bed. She had fallen asleep the night before they had to leave to go back to Hogwarts among sheets of parchment and books. Harry had been sitting on the bed with her reading another one of those horrible books, and she had used his hard, cold chest as a pillow. When she woke up, however, Harry was gone and all of her things had been put away. Her trunk had even been packed. She stumbled out of bed and got dressed, stopping off in the bathroom before making her way down the hall. The house was eerily silent, especially with so many people living there. She started walking down the stairs and passed the drawing room whose door, that was usually closed, was open. Ginny glanced in and saw Tamah sitting curled up in a big chair by the only window, reading a book. She was about to wish her a good morning and continue on her search for Harry, but something made her stop. Her heart started beating slightly faster as she considered her options. Instead of passing the room by, she turned and went in.

"Good morning, Tamah," she told the young girl.

"Good morning, Ginny," Tamah replied, looking up from her book.

"Do you know where Harry is?" Ginny asked.

"They're having some big Order meeting downstairs before he has to go back to school. Didn't he tell you?"

"No, but I haven't seen him all morning. I just woke up." Ginny walked over to one of the chairs and flopped down in it. The two sat in silence for a minute or two, Tamah reading and Ginny watching her. After gathering up her courage, Ginny cleared her throat softly.

"I was wondering…" she started hesitantly.

"Yes?" Tamah prompted, placing her book on the table next to her.

"The other week, after we met you in the woods, I asked Harry why you were so dedicated to the war. So he started telling me about Hitler and the Holocaust and how you and your family went into hiding." Ginny said this all very quickly and looked up for a moment to see how Tamah was taking it. She was nodding her head in encouragement so Ginny plowed on.

"He said how Nazis came to your hiding place and you were chased into the woods. Your mother, father, and brother were captured. But you and your older brother managed to escape. Harry told me how your brother made you hide in a tree or something like that, but then he stopped and said the rest of the story wasn't his to tell. He told me I should ask Aurora for the rest of the story. I don't know why though. But I figured since you were there you'd know as good as anyone what happened. So I was wondering—if you don't mind—if you could tell me what happened."

Tamah took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I know why Harry told you to ask Aurora, and I can't blame him… not really," she said once she opened them again. She looked straight into Ginny's eyes and Ginny couldn't help but look at her hands entwined in her lap. When she looked back up, Tamah was staring at the family tree hanging up on the far wall.

"What Harry told you did happen," she said in a soft voice. "My brother and I had gained a lead on the officers that were chasing us. He told me to hide in one of the huge, old trees of the forest. I didn't want to and I begged and pleaded with him, but he grabbed me and shoved me into a hole that the roots of the trees had created. He was so strong that I couldn't fight him. I struggled because I didn't want him to leave me. I knew he would once he was sure I was hidden. I didn't understand that he would have hidden close by me. So I fought and cried, but he eventually pushed me down into the hole. My leg scraped against wood that was sticking out and there was this huge gash down my calf. My brother told me to be quiet if I wanted to live, so I tried to stifle my sobs."

Ginny listened with rapt attention, staring at Tamah as she watched past images play out in front of her eyes.

"I could see out a little bit if I looked between the right roots. I watched as he walked a little ways to my left, looking for a hiding spot large enough for him I suppose. But then he stopped, and stared at something that I couldn't see. Then I heard a woman say hello to him. Her voice was so entrancing that I almost got up out of my hole to see her. But something held me back. Something didn't feel right, but I couldn't figure out what. My brother didn't say anything, but continued to stare. I listened as she asked him question after question: What was he doing in the woods? How old was he? Did he live around here? Then she came into view and she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my nine years of life. It was like she was a glowing angel amidst all the violence that was happening around us. But somehow I knew that she wasn't. And she was standing _so_ close to Daniel. I had to warn him that she wasn't an angel, but before I could, she moved. It was so fast that I didn't understand at first. But then I saw her mouth at his neck and he was getting so pale…" Tamah closed her eyes.

"Then there was shouting and one of the officers that had been chasing us ran up and stopped when he saw her. Then he pulled out his gun and shot at her, but the bullets didn't do anything. She dropped Daniel and then attacked the officer. He kept shooting and shooting and shooting as she almost _glided_ to him. The noise was so loud and it was all so horrifying, but I couldn't look away. She did the same thing to the officer that she had done to Daniel. I couldn't move. I don't know if I even breathed. She threw the man's body down not long after. I had a horrible, horrible feeling. It was overwhelming. I watched as she started to walk around, sniffing the air. It was so strange. I had never heard of anything like this happening before. But I knew… I _knew_… she was smelling me. I knew she'd find me.

She inhaled for a long moment, and then she disappeared. Suddenly, I was grabbed by my leg and flung out of the hole. I landed wrong and something broke, I don't remember what. But I cried out at the pain. Then she glided her way over to me. She leaned over my bleeding leg and to my horror, I felt her teeth sink in painfully where the cut was and she started to _drink_ my _blood_. But I couldn't do anything. My arms wouldn't move… my voice wouldn't work. And then, as my eyes were closing, I saw something come and yank her off of me, throwing her far away from me. All I remember after that is pain. The most excruciating pain."

Tamah looked straight into Ginny's eyes.

"She hadn't drunk enough of my blood to kill me. Instead, the poison she left in me turned me into the same creature she was... a vampire. And that is why Harry wanted you to hear the story from Aurora: so she would be able to tell you how much she regrets killing my brother and turning me into the monster I am today."

**A/N:**

I wanted to respond to a few reviews and since I don't know if there's a way to do it directly on the site (if there is, somebody please tell me) I'm just going to do it here. But first off let me say thank you to those who review. Even if I don't respond I do read them all and take into account everything you say.

So.. to the point… (oh, and some of the reviews are from a while ago so… um yeah.)

**To everyone who asked if this was based on Twilight by Stephenie Meyer**: Yes. I took her vampire world and meshed it together with Harry Potter. I tweaked a couple of things I think, but the basic idea is the same.

**TOW Gunner**: I know it's been a while since you reviewed, and let me say if you actually read this I will be extremely happy knowing that you stuck with the story so far, especially since you don't like vampire stories. Just the fact that you said you would continue reading my story after that long spiel about everything wrong with it practically made my day that day.

**Marquis Black**: Thank you for taking the time to explain what exactly you liked about the story. I try to stay away from the stereotypical vampire stories myself. Well, vampire stories in general. And thank you for the compliments.

**sectumsempra**: I am so freakin excited for August 2nd. There's even a countdown on her website for Breaking Dawn's release. I'm just upset that it's the last book. But I must say I'm looking forward to the movie they're making.

**Joykohl**: Yes, it was. I couldn't help myself. I wanted to name her Caroline, but I'm so horrible at last names. And then I was reading Pride and Prejudice for like, the millionth time while I was writing chapter 2, and Caroline Bingley reminded me so much of her I just had to name her exactly that.

**DukeBrymin**: When I read your first review, I couldn't stop smiling. Thank you so much for all the compliments (however undeserved they are) and taking the time to review in general. And I have to admit, I had to look up verisimilitude. I learned a new word so that's good, though I have no idea how to pronounce it. And for the main part of this response: Tamah's cursing. Let me start off by saying I don't curse (except while driving… I have terrible road rage and I don't even realize I'm doing it). And I really don't like it when other people do either. I think that there are tons of words in the English language that you could use instead and when you resort to cursing, it makes me believe that you just don't know them. Which is the main reason that there's not much cursing in my story, and this is actually the worse chapter there is. Ok, my point. So I've established that I don't curse on a regular basis (I know I'm rambling, bear with me). So when I was writing that scene, I was extremely surprised to find, after reading over what I had written when I finished the conversation, that I had Tamah cursing. I hadn't even realized that she had. But I figured I'd just leave it in and that would be the end of it. But then your review got me thinking and here's what I came up with: Tamah is not the eight year old that you see in the story. She's lived for more than sixty years and has gone through a lot of crap, I promise. (Well, for example what happened to her family, and well.. her.) And she's really devoted to the war. Aurora was ruining that for her, so she chose to curse to express her feelings about Aurora's actions in a decidedly shocking way. But I think it's for the better. I'm not trying to say that cursing is the right way for Tamah to show her.. passion I guess, but… I'm not explaining this very well. It helps to show Ginny that Tamah is not a little girl, though sometimes she acts like one. I… yeah, no, that's the best I got. Sorry for rambling.

**ginervapulliza**: Hopefully this chapter was soon enough for you.  I know that I rushed chapter 9, and it felt like I was, but I really wanted to get on to bigger and better things. I don't know how to make boring stuff interesting, so I skipped over a lot of parts. I thought that chapter was going to be one of the longer ones, but then when I actually wrote the stuff out I realized that a lot of it wasn't _that_ important to the story and kinda hard to right. So I summarized. Yeah, lazy, know. But I wanted to get to chapter 10. But keep in mind this is my rough draft of sorts with only me reading over it (that's why there's lots of grammar mistakes) so I'll probably fill in some gaps when I go back over it.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

A/N: I am so sorry about the delay in updates! Exams and such ate up all of my free time. But I swore to myself that I was going to get this done this weekend. Actually, I bribed myself with Stephenie Meyer's newest book The Host that I'm dying to read. I refused to go buy it until I finished this chapter. And it worked! So here's the chapter (not much really happens but it's important for the next ones) and I'm off to the bookstore.

**Chapter 11: The Leaky Cauldron**

It was awkward moments like these that Ginny hated the most. There wasn't anything she could say that would make the situation seem better. She knew whatever came out of her mouth next was going to be inadequate, but she had no idea what else to say.

"I'm sorry," she told Tamah. She didn't think that her sincerity was evident in her voice.

"It's okay," Tamah assured her. "It was a long time ago. Besides, I have Harry now. It sounds horrible, but Harry is like Daniel's replacement. They're both very similar in personality. And Aurora… she's family, you know? So she did something a lot worse than your usual family quarrel calls for, but she is sorry."

Ginny nodded along in agreement. "My brother Percy… he sided with the Ministry about Voldemort, and we don't talk to him or about him. But he'd be able to come back if he wanted. So I guess it's sort of similar."

Tamah smiled at Ginny's attempt at understanding. "The meeting's over now, if you'd like to go see Harry," Tamah started saying and then paused. "Actually, he's coming upstairs. Anxious a bit, isn't he?"

She had timed her sentence perfectly, for the exact moment she ended, Harry came into the room. He nodded at Tamah and then was in front of Ginny before she could blink.

A smile came unbidden to Ginny's face as Harry wrapped his arms around her.

"I missed you when I woke up," she whispered into his shoulder.

"I didn't want to leave, but the meeting…" He pulled back and took her by the hand. "You must be hungry. And you haven't had your coffee yet," he said as he walked with her out the door and down the stairs.

They were about halfway down the stairs when Harry said suddenly and to nobody in particular, "Sirius will."

"What?" Ginny asked confused.

"Oh, Tamah asked if I was going to tell her about the meeting," he said nonchalantly.

Ginny was constantly amazed at everything Harry did, and this was no exception. How he could have heard Tamah, and how Tamah could have heard that reply, was utterly remarkable.

A few members were still milling around by the front door when Harry and Ginny reached the first floor. Ginny didn't recognize any of them, but Harry nodded to several as they passed.

Ron and Hermione were still in the kitchen. Ginny said good morning and went to pour herself some coffee when she found a mug already being placed in her hand. She smiled at Harry and sat down at the table, where he immediately sat down next to her.

"Ginny, I've been meaning to ask you," Hermione said to her as Ginny sipped her coffee, "I need you to come get measured for the bridesmaid dress sometime this week. I know you're going back to school and all, but do you think you'll have time on the weekend to?"

"Yeah, sure," Ginny replied. Ron looked horrified at the idea and was staring at his soon-to-be wife.

"_I_ don't need to go right? It was horrible enough being dragged around as you looked at _flowers_."

"No, Ronald," Hermione said, her voice crisp. "You are not going to be a bridesmaid, so there would be no reason why you would have to come dress shopping with us."

Ron sighed as if he had dodged the Killing Curse and Ginny laughed. Hermione ignored both of them.

"Have any of you…" Hermione started, but stopped when Tamah, Roger, and Sirius entered the room. Roger was carrying a small stack of notebook paper, which he handed to Ron.

"I hope they'll be sufficient. I'd have Dumbledore look over them before you finalize the plans, though," he told him and Hermione.

"Thank you, Roger," Ron replied, leafing through the papers.

Harry glanced over at the first page and saw what looked to be plans for wards. They must have asked him to design the protections for the wedding.

"Tamah," Hermione said as she put the plans in her bag, "Would you like to come with Ginny and I dress shopping this weekend? I know you already have your dress, but I thought it'd be fun. Tonks is coming too, however reluctant she may be." Hermione mumbled the last part while Tamah nodded enthusiastically.

The wedding was definitely coming together. Hermione had been planning and arranging for almost half a year now, and the wedding wasn't even until April. Harry didn't see how Ron could stand going through all that, but knew that love made one endure things that would otherwise prove impossible.

"The more the merrier," Ginny said happily as she pulled out her wand and summoned the pot of coffee over. How easy magic made a lot of things. Harry faintly remembered a time when he would have thought all of this impossible. A time where he lived with his horrid relatives and their obscene obsession with normality. He was grateful, therefore, that he escaped that when he did, and extremely thankful that he had found this world of magic. That he had found Ginny.

_The Stewarts had been living in America for six years. It was not long by any of their accounts, but they had grown fond of their large apartment in the city. It had a wonderful view of the skyline and their neighbors were polite, but caught up enough in their own lives to not cause them any trouble. They loved the busyness of the city and how there was always something to do at night. It was for these reasons that when news of their imminent departure came, they were all rather reluctant to accept it. _

_"We need to go back to London," Tamah said quietly one night as the family sat in the spacious living room. Even though it was late, the response was immediate. All five of them quickly turned, eyeing her speculatively._

_"Is it dangerous for us to be here?" Aurora asked after she realized no one was saying anything._

_"No, it's not that we personally are in danger. I can't quite put into words what it is… but we all need to go, that much is clear," Tamah told her, her young voice upset._

_Adam and Jane, seated on the couch, started conversing quietly while the four children—if they could be called that—stared at each other. There was no doubt in their minds that they were leaving. Tamah could be trusted, and she had never steered them wrong. She alternated between staring at the other three and watching her feet kick in front of her. They could all hear every word that was being said between Adam and Jane._

_"I think that we should go," Roger said forcefully. He never questioned Tamah. If she said he should do something, then do it he would. Aurora didn't really care either way, as long as none of them were in danger. Harry on the other hand, didn't like her strange and convoluted impulses. It was irresponsible to put everyone's lives under the direction of a few _feelings_. _

_"Are you sure that we need to leave?" he questioned her. He enjoyed the public school he attended and really did not want to go back to England._

_"Yes, I'm sure."_

_"But why?"_

_"You know as well as I do that I can't answer that." _

_He sighed, frustrated. He didn't want to uproot his life because of some unknown._

_"Tamah," Jane addressed her kindly, "Do we need to leave sooner or later? Is there a specific time frame you can give us?" Tamah closed her eyes and was as still as a statue for a moment._

_"The sooner the better. By the end of the week I think will do." She wasn't happy about her conclusion, but had already comes to reluctant terms with her strange ability. It needed to be done, for whatever reason, and ignoring the impulses only led her to increased emotional and physical stress._

_"Then we will leave in two days. Tomorrow we will settle everything and pack. We leave on Thursday at midnight." Adam said this with authority and it was not questioned. He wasn't technically the oldest in years, but instead in maturity of mind._

_"What should I do about school?" Harry asked him._

_"I think that it will probably be easiest if you drop out. You are of legal age to do so, and we won't have to deal with your transcripts that way." Harry nodded, resigned. Obviously they weren't planning on putting him back in school in England._

_The rest of the evening was spent in planning. It was necessary to decide on excuses for leaving. Finances were discussed and plane tickets ordered. It was decided that each person could bring a small carry-on with important items. Naturally there weren't many. They decided to wait until they got to England to decide where they would stay._

_It was raining outside, nothing unusual. Harry bitterly pulled his raincoat closer to his body as he walked out the door of their small apartment in downtown London. Sure, it wasn't Surrey, but being on the same continent as those abhorred relatives of his kept him in a constant bad mood. One of these days… He shook his head. Thinking about revenge wouldn't get him anywhere. He'd think about that when he was able to actually do something. He frowned. If he was ever able to do something. His parents were very reluctant to give him what he wanted until he was twenty-one, but he was very persuasive and got them to move it down to seventeen. He was eagerly awaiting his next birthday, knowing he would finally be a part of the family._

_The rain was coming down hard now, and Harry glanced around surreptitiously. No one was near enough to see anything, he decided. He placed his hand quickly into his coat. After concentrated for a moment, an umbrella took form and he pulled it out, opening it over his head. He grasped the handle and smiled sullenly to himself. Even in the Stewart family he was different. Sure, Tamah had that intuition thing, but it was a different thing entirely to be able to make things out of nothing, to be able to have things fly on command. But even with this strange ability of his, he knew he wasn't a true part of their family._

_It wasn't that they didn't view him as a part of the family. On the contrary, they practically forced their last name on him when he signed up for school. He didn't mind at all though. It was a small adjustment that took a little getting used to, but now he replied to Stewart without a conscious thought. He just wished he was a true Stewart. He stepped in a puddle and was drawn out of his thoughts._

_He went over his mental list of groceries. He always did the grocery shopping, ever since he started living with them. Jane or Adam would go with him when he was young, but when he turned eleven they started to send him out with just Tamah, in case he ran into trouble. Now he was apparently old enough to do his own shopping._

_Harry concentrated on his surroundings. He always had to pass through this part of town to get to the store, and he always hated it. When he had made his first trip to the store more than a month ago, he thought he was getting sick. There was this weird feeling when he passed through. He brought both Aurora and Roger by it the next day and they had told him that there wasn't anything strange. It smelled slightly of alcohol and drunkenness, but so did many other places. No matter what they said, Harry still got creeped out every time he passed. The rain was starting to let up, so he put his umbrella in his coat, making it disappear. Without the background noise, Harry could hear a commotion off to his right. There was a man staggering around in front of a pub, yelling and cursing. Harry rolled his eyes and kept on walking. He hated it when people made fools of themselves in public. If someone was going to be stupid, they should do it in their own home._

_He had made it about fifty yards when the same man came up from behind him and pushed him into the alley he was crossing by._

_"Don't think I didn't see you starin', boy," the man said in a gruff, slightly slurred voice. Though Harry was taller than him, the man pushed him up against the wall with surprising strength._

_"I'm sorry sir, but I don't know what you're talking about."_

_"Don't talk down to me, Muggle. Yes, I know exactly what you are. Now, I want you to turn out your pockets and give me your money. Or I'll kill you." At this point, Harry watched as the dirty man pulled out a stick a little less than a foot long. He tried not to, but it was really hard to keep it in. He started laughing._

_"Think it's funny huh? Do you know what this is? Oh I'm sure a stupid Muggle like you doesn't. It's called a _wand_. And do you know what it can do? Here, I'll show you." And the man pointed the wand at a space not five inches from Harry's head. He watched, slightly fascinated, as the man muttered a few incomprehensible words, and jumped back when the brick was blasted into pieces, many of them scraping the side of his face. An image of Aurora's glass vase being blown to shreds repeated in front of his eyes. Whatever it was that he could do, this man could do it, too, in a way. _

_"Where did you learn to do that?" Harry asked eagerly, completely forgetting that this man was threatening him. The drunk looked taken aback at such a response._

_"None of your business Muggle, now give me—" Harry knocked him out with one punch to his temple._

_Food completely forgotten, Harry walked as fast as his legs could carry him to the pub that the man had stumbled out of. It started raining harder and he pulled up his hood back up to keep the rain off his head. There was no use bringing out an umbrella for such a short walk. Soon he was looking up at the sign. The Leaky Cauldron. He debated a few seconds outside the door, and then pushed it open._

"Harry? Are you listening?" Tamah asked loudly.

Harry closed his eyes momentarily, trying to recall exactly how Diagon Alley had looked when he first saw it. Every now and then he became aware of a little more of his human memories slipping away.

"Ginny suggested you all meet at Gringotts so everyone could withdraw some money before going shopping. Then you said that there was no need because you were sure I'd be there with her and that I could take care of the expenses. Then Ginny asked me if I was planning on going. To which the answer is yes, of course," he said, turning from Tamah to Ginny. "But I won't actually be shopping. I'll just be around Digaon Alley while you're there."

"Keeping an eye on things?" Ginny asked.

"Undoubtedly."

She shrugged and turned to face Hermione. "Have you picked out the bridesmaid dresses yet?"

"I've narrowed them down to four. I want to see which looks best on everyone."

Harry could really care less about dresses, so he paid more attention to Roger and Sirius, who were huddled in the corner of the kitchen.

"Tamah," he heard Roger say.

Tamah excused herself from the table and followed them out of the room. Harry tried not to listen to their conversation in the living room. They were planning how to destroy the prophecy. Harry had known it was only a matter of time before Voldemort would start targeting it. When Voldemort mentioned the prophecy two years ago, Harry knew how interested he was, and that he didn't know all of it. Harry, of course, had asked Dumbledore about it quite some time ago, and wasn't that concerned. He already knew what he had to do. But Voldemort, now much stronger than he was when Harry met him before, was willing to do anything to find out its contents.

It was with this mindset that the three in the living room planned. They stayed in there long after Ron and Hermione left and only two of them emerged when lunch was ready.

"Where's Roger?" Ginny asked, closing her Transfiguration book. With Harry's help, she had finally finished all of her homework.

"He went to see Aurora," Harry told her quietly.

Mrs. Weasley bustled around the table, putting dishes in the middle as Sirius and Roger poured drinks. Tamah sat next to Harry, dejectedly staring at her dish.

"I _hate_ that we have to eat," she breathed to Harry.

"Once we go back to school you can make all the excuses you want. But since everybody always eats together while we're here, it would be very weird if you never showed up," he whispered almost silently back.

"I don't think I can make it through this meal." Her tone was whiny, but it had a seriousness behind it that Harry caught.

"What's wrong?" he asked as soon as Mrs. Weasley had passed by.

Tamah didn't answer for a moment. She twisted her fingers together in her lap. "Roger's leaving."

Harry took one of her small hands and held it in his for a moment.

"He'll be back," he said comfortingly.

Tamah didn't respond.

oOo

Harry waited patiently by the train while Ginny said goodbye to her parents. He had already said his goodbyes. He had wished Roger good luck in New York, hugged Tamah, and shaken hands with Sirius. He watched Ginny weave her way through the crowd to him.

"Ready?" Harry asked her when she was in front of him.

"Yeah," she replied, grabbing his hand and leading him onto the train.

On their way to the compartment Harry had saved for them, they ran into Luna, who was a childhood friend of Ginny's.

"Would you like to sit with us?" Harry invited once Ginny introduced Luna to him.

"That would be lovely," Luna answered.

The three sat down in the compartment, Harry and Ginny on one side, and Luna facing them from the other. The train began to move, and Harry began to feel uncomfortable. Luna would not look anywhere but him. He glanced at Ginny to see what she thought of her friend's behavior, but she had pulled out a Quidditch magazine and was leafing through the pages.

"Forever is a really long time," Luna said finally. Ginny's head snapped up from the magazine and Harry stopped breathing.

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked carefully.

"You two. I've always thought you make the perfect couple."

Harry saw Ginny's eyes dart quickly toward him and then back to Luna.

"Well, th-thank you," Ginny stuttered.

Luna smiled absently and nodded. She took out her wand and started muttering an incantation, waving the wand in front of her.

Harry, intrigued and slightly worried about what the girl had said, performed slight Legilimency on her. What he found relieved him greatly. She simply thought that they would be together forever, which in her mind was even after they were both dead. Harry wondered if that was even possible.

The train ride was relatively short, and Luna helped the time pass quickly with her strange comments that Harry tried, in vain, to decipher without looking into her mind. Even though she was one of the oddest people Harry had even met (and that was saying something) he thought her to be a very nice person. He could see why Ginny liked her.

"She's just never been the same since her mum died," Ginny told him once they had gotten off the train and parted ways with Luna in the Great Hall. "She wasn't always this…way."

"Death does funny things to people," Harry said as he sat down next to her at the Gryffindor table. Ginny scrunched up her nose in a way Harry found adorable and looked around at the other students.

"Have you seen Sarah today?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "She was two compartments down from us on the train. Snogged Jeremy most of the way."

Ginny shrugged her shoulders as if she didn't expect anything less.

"She's walking in now," Harry informed her. He saw Ginny's head shoot over to the double doors. She waved Sarah and Jeremy over.

"Ginny!" Sarah exclaimed, hugging her from across the table. "How was your Christmas?"

"Definitely exciting. How was yours?"

"Absolutely wonderful. Look, see what Jeremy got me?" Sarah asked as she held out a chain from around her neck. Harry glanced uninterestedly at the necklace before turning to Jeremy and striking up a conversation about his holiday, paying little attention to the giggling girls beside him.

Dumbledore soon welcomed them all back from the holidays and expressed his hope that they were enjoyable. Food appeared on the tables immediately afterward and Ginny reached over Harry to grab the mashed potatoes. He tried not to breathe in too deeply, but somehow just couldn't stop himself. It was sweet torture to smell her, and his mouth watered. To take his mind of temptation, he decided to watch the Slytherin table for a while.

Malcolm Dunsine was aware that Voldemort was attacking Muggles with a greater ferocity than he had previously over the past months, and what they were being used for. He was still intent on keeping his promise to his father though, and for that Harry was grateful. Even though the motivation behind the secrecy was to aid Voldemort, Harry wasn't going to complain. He scanned the rest of the members. Gary Faulk was contemplating ways he could get out of writing an essay Snape had assigned over the holidays, Emilie Thompson was extremely angry at her mother for some reason or another, and Eric Brigham was completely engrossed in watching Mary Greyson eat. No, Harry was not going to be getting any information from the Slytherins tonight.

As he brought his attention back to the Gryffindor table, Harry's eyes slid over to Michael Corner, whose eyes were focused on Ginny. Almost without a thought, Harry scanned his mind, having already decided Michael couldn't be thinking anything that he would be happy about.

He hated being right sometimes.

Harry had half a mind to hex him mildly, when Michael's thoughts suddenly veered off into a place that made Harry scowl and close the connection. Hexing would not be enough. Beating him to a pulp, however, had its merits. Harry was comparing the benefits of using magic on Michael versus his fists when Ginny nudged him with her shoulder.

"Who are you glaring at?" she asked interestedly.

"Michael Corner."

She gave him a look that he knew meant he was being ridiculous.

"If you knew what he was thinking about you, you'd want to beat him up too," Harry told her unhappily.

"Be that as it may, you really shouldn't look into people's minds like that," Ginny said more softly, wary of the people around them. "It's invading their privacy."

Harry knew that, and he didn't do it on purpose…most of the time. If he was honest with himself, knowing what other people were thinking made him feel safer.

"Come on," Ginny said when he didn't respond. "Dinner's over."

The couple stood up to join the queue waiting by the doors to get out. Michael Corner was only a couple people away to the right and glancing conspicuously at Ginny. Harry casually switched from standing on Ginny's left to her right. She didn't seem to think about it at first, until he put his arm around her waist. The most contact they usually had in public was hand holding. Harry saw her glace over to Michael, who looked back and quirked up the side of his mouth. Harry scowled at him and hoped no one heard the small growl he instinctively sounded. Michael, wide-eyed, looked away and in no time there were several more people between them.

Ginny swatted Harry on the arm. "Don't scare him," she admonished. "He's harmless."

"I don't want him looking at you like that," Harry complained.

"You can't control what other people do," Ginny pointed out.

"I know that," Harry said contritely. "But he'd stop if I talked to him," Harry mumbled to himself.

"Don't you dare."

They were out in the hallway now and the students had dispersed.

"I was just kidding," Harry assured her half-heartedly.

Ginny just looked at him, shook her head, and began walking faster. Harry matched her pace easily.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked. He hoped she wasn't taking him seriously. If she didn't want him to bother Michael, he wasn't going to. Unless, of course, he did something completely out of line.

"You're so stubborn!" she exclaimed, a small smile on her face.

Harry draped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her close, breathing in the smell of her.

"So are you."

He heard her sigh.

oOo

The week passed by nicely enough. Ginny was beginning to feel the stress of NEWT year, though, and more and more of her time was being devoted to revising. Harry tried to help the best he could, but there were some things Ginny just had to do on her own. She was extremely jealous of Harry and his perfect memory, rapid writing, and general intellect. Ginny knew she wasn't stupid, but she had to work for the grades that she received. Harry seemed to have it so easy. He never took notes, his homework was complete in less than minutes, and he just knew _everything_.

Well, that wasn't true. While Ginny studied, Harry would join her in the library and read through giant tomes he found in the Restricted Section. When Ginny asked him what he was looking for, he replied that he didn't really know. It pertained to Voldemort, but that was all Ginny got out of him. She could see he was becoming frustrated, and each day the line in his forehead would get deeper each time he closed yet another book. She thought he would have exhausted the library's resources by now, what with his super speed reading and everything. She questioned him about it, and he replied that he only had one shelf left. Ginny heard the irritation about it in his voice and left him to his research.

The next morning Ginny dressed in jeans and a light sweater, excited about the day's shopping prospects. She looked out her dorm room window for a few moments before she went downstairs. The sky was gray, and the clouds were heavy with rain that had not yet fallen. Ginny smiled and closed her eyes, thinking of Harry. Then she realized that he was right downstairs, and she dashed out the door after saying a hasty goodbye to Sarah, who was just waking up.

When she reached the bottom step, she looked expectantly around the common room, but he wasn't there. And then suddenly, he was in front of her. Ginny jerked back in surprise, which wasn't such a great idea because she was still standing on the stairs. Harry caught her around her waist before she fell and pulled her off the stairs and into his chest, her toes barely touching the ground.

"I'm sorry I scared you," Harry said remorsefully.

Ginny inhaled as deeply as she could and closed her eyes. "I'm fine. Where were you?"

"Hunting," Harry answered reluctantly. "I ran into some Centaurs and tried to talk to them about Voldemort. It didn't go so well."

Ginny giggled. "I can imagine."

"Come on, Gin, we'll grab something to eat before we leave," Harry said as they separated and started walking.

"You did get Dumbledore's permission, right?" Ginny asked as they walked out the portrait hole.

"Yep. We're all set."

Ginny wanted to skip a little. Even though they had just gotten back from the holidays, she hadn't had a day like this in a while. Just to go shopping and be excited about her friend's wedding. To pretend there wasn't a chance one of her brothers or parents could die today. To pretend there was no war.

Most of the school was just now waking up, so Ginny and Harry were one of the very few students in the Great Hall. Ginny ate quickly, her foot tapping in anticipation for the day to come.

"Slow down and chew," Harry instructed her.

"No way. I've got places to go, people to see, and very little time to do it," she managed to mumble through a mouthful of food.

Ginny heard Harry's breath hitch and she looked at him. His eyes were focused on the table and he wasn't moving.

"What?" Ginny asked him.

When Harry lifted his head, he looked perfectly fine. But there was something wrong. Ginny wondered if it was because of her.

"Nothing," Harry said casually. "Are you almost done?"

"Yep," she replied before downing the rest of her coffee.

"Well, come on then," Harry said and they rose as one, walking out of the Great Hall holding hands.

The two made it out the front doors without meeting anyone on their way. Once they had reached the last step, Harry told Ginny to climb on his back. Thrilled, Ginny excitedly scrambled on. His cool hands held on to her arms that were around his neck and then they were running. Ginny's hair billowed behind her and she reveled in the freeing feeling. All too soon they reached the front gates of Hogwarts.

Both had a smile on their face as they walked off of the grounds.

"I'm going to Apparate us to outside the Leaky Cauldron. Hold on tight," Harry told her as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. Ginny could tell he was being extremely careful, and yet at the same time holding on as tight as he could without hurting her.

"Ready?" he asked as Ginny wrapped her arms around his chest.

"Ready."

Ginny had the distinct feeling of being squeezed through a tube that was entirely too small for her, but also felt Harry's arms around her. For the millisecond that she was neither here nor there, she concentrated on Harry to keep from freaking out.

And then, just as quickly as they had disappeared, they reappeared in front of the pub.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked her worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

She felt his eyes roam over her, perhaps checking to make sure she really was okay, and then he put his arm around her waist and steered her into the pub. It was a Saturday, but still early in the morning so there were only a scattering of people present. Even so, as soon as the couple walked through the doors, it seemed to Ginny that everyone turned their heads to stare. Ginny felt her face heat up, and Harry's arm dropped from around her waist and he moved away slightly. Hurt, though she knew she shouldn't be, she looked over at Harry. He was looking straight ahead and had his arms crossed in front of him. She dejectedly followed him out to the back, her embarrassment at being stared at forgotten in wake of Harry's behavior.

Harry pulled out his wand to tap the pattern out on the bricks, but stopped.

"Do you know why people blush?" he asked Ginny. Without giving her time to reply, he said, "The blood flow to their face increases." He then tapped his wand on each brick needed to gain access to Diagon Alley.

Ginny knew that he only said that to explain his behavior, but she could not help but feel absolutely terrible about it. She hated causing him any more pain than her presence already did.

"I'm sorry," she apologized miserably.

"Don't be. I'll get used to it. Plus," he added mischievously, "You're ridiculous cute when you blush."

That comment brought another wave of heat to Ginny's face, and Harry smiled in response.

"Come on, Hermione will kill me if I make you late," he said.

Many of the shops were just now opening, and Harry and Ginny were able to get to the store Hermione at told them about with ease.

"I still can't believe she found a store that has robes and Muggle dresses."

"They specialize in weddings, and I'm sure a lot of Muggleborns would rather wear a real wedding dress than robes."

"I'm certainly not going to complain with her choice of bridesmaid attire, that's for sure," Harry said with a smile, looking at Ginny in a way that made her heart speed up and face flush… yet again.

Harry stood there beside her a moment, and then leaned down and kissed her full on the lips before disappearing. It was so fast that Ginny didn't fully realize what was happening until he had left.

"Ginny, I'm so glad you're here!" Tonks greeted as soon as Ginny walked through the store's doors.

"Hermione is insane. Have you seen what she wants me to wear?" Tonks continued, not giving Ginny a chance to say anything. "Don't tell her I told you this, but those dresses are horrible. You would think she would've picked something a little more…I don't know, less fancy."

"It is a wedding, you know," Ginny pointed out. Tonks seemed to actually notice Ginny.

"Why is your face so red?"

Ginny just glared at her and went to find Hermione and Tamah. A confused Tonks followed her.

oOo

Harry didn't know what he was looking for when he entered the bookstore. Something, anything, to explain why Voldemort did not die when he was hit with his own killing curse. He had brought along a dark cloak that he put on as soon as he left Ginny, but the store owner was still eyeing him suspiciously. Of course, given the location of the bookstore and the people it must attract, Harry figured that was the usual behavior of the man.

He walked up and down aisles, pulling books with promising titles off the shelves and quickly flipping through them. He left the store periodically to check on Ginny, but came back to the exact place he had left off searching. Each time he reentered the shop the store owner's eyes would become more and more narrow. The books weren't organized in any way that Harry could tell, but it didn't really matter because he wouldn't know which section to look in anyway.

It did not take long to go through the entire store, and Harry left feeling even more frustrated. There was only one thing he could think of to do: talk to Dumbledore. Perhaps he could just ask and get an answer without anything else being brought up. Harry briefly closed his eyes at the thought and then put it out of his mind.

Harry toiled outside the shop, wary of going inside. He could hear Ginny and the others saying goodbye. Tamah came out first, smiling.

"Guess what?" she asked Harry happily.

"What?" he asked, playing along.

"Mum and Dad are coming home soon!"

Harry hadn't really said anything to anyone, but he dearly missed his parents. They had never been gone for such a long time before, and Tamah's comment gave him a sense of relief.

"Good," Harry replied.

Tamah nodded and said quickly, "I've got to go tell Roger and Sirius!" She hugged him goodbye and then sped through the crowd of people that had appeared in the alley.

"Did you miss me?" Ginny asked teasingly, walking up behind Harry where he was staring after Tamah.

"More than you can imagine."

"I can imagine quite a lot."

Harry covered her hand with his. He could hear Tonks and Hermione arguing about the dress the rest had decided on, and decided not to ask Ginny if they should wait for them.

"Could we hurry back to school? I have McGonagall's essay to do still, and it's already lunchtime," Ginny said, bringing Harry's mind easily away from the two friends' bantering.

"Sure."

Harry carefully weaved through the people, Ginny holding tightly to his hand.

oOo

Two weeks passed before Harry decided to go and talk to Dumbledore. He had finally read all the books in the library, and in the second to last book that he read, he found a mention of an object called a Horcrux. As this was his best lead so far, Harry was extremely angry that the book had been one of the very last. He hadn't heard of a Horcrux before, so he decided to take an unscheduled trip to Knockturn Alley to see if he could find anything on such a thing. He had no such luck, though, and that was what brought him to the steps of the Headmaster's door that night.

"Good evening, Mr. Stewart," Dumbledore said once Harry was admitted into his office.

"Good evening, Headmaster," Harry replied.

"Please, have a seat." Dumbledore motioned to one of the chairs in front of his desk. All of the portraits were gazing interestedly at Harry.

"Now before we discuss what you came here to, I have a question, if I may."

Harry motioned for him to continue.

"I suppose I have you and your sister to thank for saving those two Muggle families last weekend?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, that was us. Though, we don't need any thanks."

"On the contrary," Dumbledore disagreed. "I believe we owe you and your family a great deal of thanks. Now, before I go too much off on a tangent, you came here for a reason, I suppose?"

"Yes. I—I wanted to ask you about…Horcurxes."

Dumbledore did not look surprised at the word, but Harry saw several of the portraits shift in their frames.

"What would you like to know?"

"What are they?"

"In the simplest terms, they are pieces of a person's soul encased in an object. Why do you ask?"

Harry ignored his question. "How many did Voldemort make?" Harry asked, for he was now certain that Voldemort made at least one. Harry prayed it was only one.

"I believe two so far." Well, it was better than three or four.

"How did he make them?"

"By committing the foulest crime against humanity, murder," Dumbledore said sadly.

"Who did he kill?"

"I believe the first one he made was when he was sixteen. A girl was murdered here in the school when he released a Basilisk."

"A Basilisk? Where did he obtain a Basilisk?" Harry asked, stunned.

Dumbledore did not look pleased. "Here in this very school. There is a chamber, called the Chamber of Secrets, that Slytherin himself built during the construction of the school. The snake had been living down there the entire time."

"It has been destroyed, right?"

Dumbledore shook his head in the negative. "We cannot get into the chamber."

"There must be a way."

"It's protected by many ancient spells. Slytherin designed it so only his ancestors could access it."

"How did Voldemort get into it?" Harry asked.

"He's a direct descendent of Slytherin. It is my assumption that to enter the chamber one has to be able to speak Parseltongue."

Harry was silent for a moment. "What about the other Horcrux?"

"I think he made another with the murder of his father and grandparents."

"When did he commit their murders?"

"The summer after he graduated."

"So he would have been seventeen," Harry commented, thinking hard.

"Yes."

"Thank you for your time," Harry said abruptly.

Dumbledore looked slightly startled. "You're leaving?"

"I just realized I need to write a letter. Good night, Headmaster," Harry said, getting up and walking towards the door.

"Have a pleasant night, Mr. Stewart," Dumbledore said to Harry's back. Harry acknowledged him with a nod and walked out the door.

He needed to write to Tamah to make sure she got a message to Aurora. Harry needed information on Voldemort, and soon.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Yay! Chapter 12 is finally done. I know, took long enough. Now, seeing as Breaking Dawn came out and this story is sorta-ish based on that series...I have to rant. So spoilers ahead for those of you who haven't read it yet. I mean, it was good. It just wasn't what I was expecting at all. I didn't really have any expectations but a kid...I was like holy crap. Anyway, my problem was how she made Bella after she became a vampire. Maybe it's just me, but in the first three books Bella is just a normal, clumsy, responsible girl. Then she turns into a vampire and poof! she's got some power that she can use to save like thirty some people I think it was. I guess I think she was just made too powerful. OH! My main problem: how she didn't act like a newborn at all. I mean, she was turned and then a few days later she's exposed to humans, no problem. Of course, that's sorta how it is in my story too, with the whole theory if you know what you're getting into you're better prepared. Harry had a harder time than Bella, but within a couple of months he was able to go out into large crowds and be ok. But I was extremely happy with the way it worked out with Jacob and Renesmee (if I spelled that right. hate the name, by the way). Ok. I'm done rambling, I promise. Wait, no I'm not. And I want to thank my AWESOME beta, Rich, for this chapter. Yep, that's right. You get a betaed chapter. Ok. Now I'm done. Enjoy...

**Chapter 12: Homecoming**

February had just begun, and Harry was beginning to feel stressed out. Sirius and Tamah had finalized their plans to destroy the prophecy. Harry was supposed to go to the Department of Mysteries with Tamah tonight, but Voldemort had made him push the destruction up to that morning. Tamah had met with Aurora the day before to pass on Harry's message and found out about a plan to test the newly created vampires' strength and loyalty to Voldemort. He was sending them out that night to an unsuspecting wizarding town, where they had been instructed to each come back with a prisoner. The rest of the residents could be done away with. This presented Harry with a dilemma that he had never had before. The entire night he had sat next to Ginny while she slept, agonizing over how to handle the situation. Aurora had said there would be at least twenty-five of them. Twenty-five.

Aurora could not fight because that would give away her valuable position. The members of the Order could fight, but they would be decimated by the vampires without a thought. That left Harry and Tamah. Two against twenty-five. Even with magic on his side, there was no conceivable way both of them would make it out alive.

But…

It was this "but" with which Harry had tortured his mind for the last ten hours. But they were newborns. They had never been in a situation like this, Aurora had told Tamah. There was no doubt in Harry's mind that once the group started competing over bodies — over blood — many of them would be killed. If he let them destroy themselves, however, many innocent lives would be lost.

Would he really be able to just sit there and wait? Wait for the vampires to start killing each other while they killed humans? Did he have any other choice?

Harry heard an alarm go off nearby, and Caroline shuffled out of bed and to the bathroom. He knew he should leave, but Ginny's curtains were closed so they wouldn't be bothered. He sat there and listened as Ginny's roommates woke up one by one. Ginny hadn't moved a bit.

Harry brushed the back of his hand lightly over her cheek. The corners of her lips curved softly upward. She was so beautiful. Harry did not know why he was the one she loved, especially when all he could offer her was a life full of cold and pain. He steadied himself and leaned down slowly, pressing his lips to hers. He felt warmer from the contact, and something inside him stirred.

There were other people like him and Ginny; there just had to be. In that neighborhood, there was probably a man who had his own Ginny. And Harry knew he would not be able to just sit there and let those monsters destroy someone else's soul.

"Harry?" Ginny's groggy voice brought him from his determined thoughts. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied softly. He had forgotten she didn't know he was there. He had snuck into her bed after she had gone to sleep.

"Did you stay here the whole night?" she asked, more awake.

Harry shrugged and then realized that her eyes were still closed. "Not the _whole_ night."

Ginny opened her eyes slowly, adjusting to the bright light that was starting to come into the room. She smiled.

"Have I ever told you how much I like waking up to you?"

"Not recently," Harry replied, lying down beside her and pulling her small body against his. He hoped this wasn't the last time he would do this. There had to be a way to get out of the fight alive and still save everyone. His grip around her tightened slightly.

"I need to get up," Ginny said unhappily.

"Just… stay for a few more moments," Harry requested. He kissed her neck. He was getting better at this.

"If you insist," Ginny acquiesced.

Harry knew he needed to leave soon, but could not drag himself away from her. He finally made himself look at his watch and realized that Tamah was already waiting at the Ministry of Magic. He slowly detached himself from Ginny.

"Where are you going?" she asked, seemingly not pleased.

"The Ministry."

"What for?"

"To stop Voldemort from gaining more knowledge."

"How would he do that by going to the Ministry?"

"Trust me," Harry said. "I'll explain later. I'm running late and Tamah's going to kill me."

"Fine," Ginny sighed. "Please, be safe."

"There's no danger in this one," Harry told her.

"There's always danger."

Harry leaned over to kiss her once more and then he was gone, not even stirring the curtains.

oOo

"If you are not going to take this seriously," Tamah whispered furiously to him through clenched teeth, "then just tell me beforehand so I'll know to do it all myself!"

Harry thought she was overreacting — he had only been five minutes late — but Tamah would hear none of his excuses.

"Let's just do this, okay?" Harry gave up on trying to explain why he was late. "It was your idea to do it in broad daylight when people are working."

"We planned for it to be at night. It's not my fault that Voldemort decided to kill people. If I knew that he was just testing them, and that it wasn't a diversion, then I would say wait until tomorrow night. But I don't know what he's doing or when he's going to steal it, so we need to do it today," she answered angrily.

Harry didn't know what had her on edge, but he suspected it was because Jane and Adam had not returned yet even though she said they were coming back soon. Or perhaps she felt that tonight's confrontation was not going to go well.

"And that's why we're here. Look, I need to get back to school. Just stand watch," Harry told her.

Tamah glared at him but obediently stepped into the phone booth, quickly punched the numbers in, and descended underground.

Harry circled around the area for five minutes, waiting for Tamah to find a decent location in which to place herself. They had looked at the floor plans for the building that the Order had gotten a while ago. Their plan was simple. Tamah was to stand near the Department of Mysteries, and if she saw anything that warranted being worried about, she was to go immediately to Harry. Harry would slip into the Department of Mysteries, go to the Hall of Prophecy, and find the prophecy with his name on it. Then he was to smash it and run as fast as he could out of there. It was funny to Harry that it had taken Sirius and Tamah so long to come up with this plan, but he was pretty sure that they spent a lot of their time thinking of implausible ways to destroy the prophecy, especially ones that involved the destruction of the entire Ministry building.

Harry went into the phone booth and dialed the phone. A voice answered and asked him his name and purpose.

"Vernon Dursley, just visiting," Harry said into the phone, smirking to himself at the name he chose. It was a name he really wanted to just forget, but it had its uses. The booth moved downward into the ground.

Everything went according to plan. Harry Disillusioned himself on the way down. As soon as the door was open, Harry ran through the crowds of people easily. No one saw him. After making his way through the maze that was the Department of Mysteries, he finally reached the prophecy and smashed it on the ground, leaving the department as quickly as he had come.

Leaving the Ministry of Magic, however, they had not planned thoroughly. Tamah ran ahead of Harry, her small form fitting between people easily. She stopped, though, when she realized the only ways she could leave were to Floo or be Apparated. The lady Tamah suddenly appeared next to looked at her in shock. She seemed to be about to say something when Arthur Weasley approached and laid a hand on the small girl's shoulder.

"Are you lost?" Harry heard Arthur ask her.

Tamah nodded her head, looking at the floor. Harry marveled at her acting ability.

"Where was the last place you saw your parents?" he asked kindly. Harry had to give him credit, too.

"I don't know," Tamah said helplessly. "Maybe over there somewhere," she said, it coming out more as a question. She pointed in Harry's direction. He was in a dark corner, still Disillusioned.

"Well, that's as good a place as any to start looking, wouldn't you agree?" Arthur said and took Tamah by the hand, his eyes widening at what Harry supposed was the coldness of it.

Tamah reluctantly brought Arthur over to Harry. He waved his hand over himself, canceling the spell that was helping him hide. Arthur did not seem surprised to see him.

"Shouldn't you be in school, Harry?" Arthur asked him. Tamah let go of his hand and walked to stand behind Harry. The corner was secluded enough, but Harry was still extremely wary of anything said in the building. Arthur had already used his real name. Maybe he was just being paranoid. Voldemort didn't have ears everywhere.

"She wanted to see the inside, Mr. Weasley," Harry answered, motioning to Tamah with his hand. He didn't want to use her name, either.

Arthur looked skeptical and was about to reply when Tamah tugged on Harry's arm eagerly. "And you said you would take me back in time for breakfast. It's almost nine and you know he likes to eat when he wakes up. He'll be sad if I'm not there. I don't wanna make him sad," Tamah pleaded in a childlike voice.

"I did promise," Harry replied. "I'm sorry, sir, but we do have to be going."

Without waiting for a reply, Harry practically dragged Tamah over to the spot where Apparation was safe and disappeared in a blink.

"He's going to ask questions later," Tamah pointed out as they walked into Grimmauld Place.

"I know, and it's really not that big of a deal. He can ask whatever he wants, as long as it's in the safe confines of headquarters."

They both turned their heads towards a commotion coming down the stairs. Sirius descended, already fully dressed and awake.

"How did it go? Did you destroy it?" he asked hurriedly.

"Yes, of course. No worries. The only way Voldemort will know what the full prophecy says now is if he gets it out of one of us. Which he won't be doing," Harry added sternly, making sure to look both of them in the eye.

"I'm not going to say anything," Sirius huffed. "Are you staying for long?" he asked, changing the topic.

Harry nodded and chewed on the inside of his cheek. "We need a plan."

"For what?" Sirius asked. "Wait. Don't tell me yet. Let's go into the kitchen."

Harry followed Sirius into the kitchen where Molly was preparing a large breakfast.

"Hello, Harry, Tamah," she greeted them. There had been a small barrier between her and Harry since Ginny had introduced him as her boyfriend, but she was still polite. Harry thought that she really didn't mind him so much, just the idea of Ginny growing up.

"Would you like breakfast, Sirius?" Molly asked him.

"That would be great," Sirius replied, falling into a nearby chair.

"Are you two hungry?" she directed at Harry and Tamah.

"No, thank you," Tamah replied for both of them.

"Are you sure?" Molly asked with concern. Harry wondered how many meals Tamah had been skipping.

"Yes, we're fine," Tamah replied kindly.

"So, what is it you want to talk about?" Sirius asked, ending the others' conversation.

Harry glanced quickly over at Molly and back to Sirius, shaking his head slightly, trying to make him understand that he didn't want to talk about it in front of her.

"Jane and Adam are coming back, and we were wondering if they could stay here," Tamah inserted quickly. Molly, who had her back to them, did not see the silent exchange.

"They're always welcome here, you should know that," Sirius told Tamah, easily catching on. They had already had a conversation similar to this when Tamah had first told him her parents were coming back. It was much more in depth though, because they had to account for whoever Jane and Adam were bringing back as well. There was no way they could be trusted enough to even know that Grimmauld Place existed.

The conversation did not continue until Molly left, muttering to herself about Ron, who was still in bed asleep.

"You have to promise that you won't tell the Order about this," Harry warned Sirius.

"Why not?"

"They'd be slaughtered."

Sirius sat up straighter and leaned in towards the two, and in a low, alarmed voice asked, "What?"

Harry stole a glance at Tamah and said, "Voldemort is sending out his army tonight to a town to… practice. If the Order found out about it, they'd want to do something, and that something would most definitely get them killed."

"I need more details than just 'practice,'" Sirius replied.

"There's twenty-five of them. Voldemort told them they each needed one live prisoner."

"There's more than twenty-five people in the town, isn't there?"

"Many more," Tamah replied.

Sirius was silent for a moment. "Have you considered…" he trailed off, looking as if he knew his suggestion was not going to be taken well.

"What?" Tamah asked sweetly, an innocent, curious expression on her face. "What were you going to say?"

"Have you considered telling them?" Sirius said in a rush.

Harry's face instantly hardened and Tamah's childlike expression turned somber.

"That won't do anyone any good," Harry replied bitterly.

"Well, why not? They could help! They would know exactly what we're up against."

"And they would know what we are!" Tamah exclaimed. Her soft voice sounded odd when it was used with such vehemence. "Do you think we're going to risk this war and give them a chance to turn against us? Not everyone is as accepting as you and Dumbledore. You have no idea! People change sides for a lot less than the thought of us. Do you honestly believe that they won't turn against us when they find out what we're capable of? They have no way of knowing that we would never hurt them. They might trust us as people, but they wouldn't trust us as vampires."

Harry nodded his agreement, and said in a much calmer voice, "Most of them would not allow us into the house. If we did tell them about Voldemort's vampires, I cannot say we would escape their questioning, Hermione especially. Give her that small amount to go on, and I'm sure she'd make the connection to us easily. And the others would have questions about how we could get so close. How we know so much. It's not worth the risk."

"What if they didn't despise you? That's what this is about, isn't it? What if they take it just as well as I did? As Ginny did? She's not terrified of you. If we told them, they could help fight."

"And what would they be able to do against twenty-five vampires, Sirius?" Harry asked sadly. "You've never been able to sneak up on me. The vampires would hear them from a mile away. And even if the Order was able to surprise them, there's no way they could get their wands drawn without the vampires hearing and killing them. The only way we're going to defeat them is using magic against them. The only way that will work, though, is if one of their kind is the one to do it," Harry told him.

"But we can't do it by ourselves, there's too many of them," Tamah added.

"Which is why we need a plan."

Sirius was silent in his defeat.

oOo

Harry Apparated back to Hogwarts with an extreme sense of dread. There was a very large chance that tonight was going to go badly. The knowledge that even Tamah couldn't tell which way the fight was going to go did nothing to ease his fear. It was the middle of the afternoon, and Ginny's last class of the day was just about to let out. He went and waited outside the classroom door. He assumed she would be full of questions about where he went this morning, but he wasn't sure if he was able to answer them yet. The prophecy was not as big a deal as being a vampire, right? So it should be safe to believe that she would take this new information easily. He wasn't sure, though. Perhaps the knowledge that either he or Voldemort would have to die would upset her. Maybe she would be worried he couldn't kill him. Maybe he was the one that was worried he couldn't.

The bell rang and the classroom door opened, students walking out in groups. He smelled her wonderful, flowery scent and anxiously waited for her to walk out the door. He heard her and Sarah talking.

"Aren't you excited about Valentine's Day?" Sarah asked her.

"Not really. I don't see the big deal," Ginny replied offhandedly.

Sarah didn't say anything for a moment, and Harry could imagine the look of disbelief on her face.

"I would have thought you'd gotten over your dislike for it, now that you and Harry are together."

"I don't need a day to tell me to love him."

"No, but that's not the point of Valentine's Day," Sarah told her.

"And what is?"

"It's an excuse to spend the entire day being romantic and happy."

"I'm happy already. I don't want any mushy crap. That's not love."

No more students were exiting the classroom, so Harry figured it was safe for him to go in.

"I don't get you," Sarah was saying as Harry walked in.

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, looking relieved. Harry felt horrible to think that she had been worrying over him.

"Hey, Gin," he said, hugging her and pressing his lips to her cheek.

"We're going to the library to start researching. Would you like to come?" Sarah asked Harry.

"Sure, for a little bit at least."

Ginny looked up from Harry's embrace. He glanced at Sarah over Ginny's head and warned Ginny with his eyes not to ask why he would only be staying for a while.

"Do you two have any plans for Valentine's Day?" Sarah asked the couple.

"No," Harry answered. "Are we supposed to?"

"You're both hopeless," Sarah said, shaking her head.

"Do you have any plans?" Harry asked her.

"Jeremy and I are going to Hogsmeade," Sarah sighed, getting a faraway look in her eyes. Harry glanced sideways at Ginny with his eyebrows raised, and she rolled her eyes.

"He's taking me to Madam Puddifoot's for lunch," Sarah continued, oblivious to their mocking. "I can't wait! But I have no idea what I should wear. I think it's supposed to snow, so I'll have to wear gloves and a scarf with my coat of course, but I don't know which sweater to wear…"

The walk to the library was long and punctuated by Ginny's occasional tug on Harry's hand, always accompanied by a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

oOo

Ginny really needed to be studying, but several things held her attention instead. Well, one thing in particular. Harry, as always, was foremost in her thoughts. It was with a slightly bitter attitude that she thought of him at the moment, however. Sarah's happy rambling about Jeremy had made Ginny jealous of the easiness of her best friend's relationship. There was no need for Sarah to be in a constant state of worry over whether or not her boyfriend would be alive the next time she saw him. And she did not have the added bonus of having to watch her actions carefully to make sure she did not do anything… particularly bothersome. Ginny was jealous that Sarah had it so easy. Yet at the same time, she felt sorry for her. While Sarah might not have the same problems, Ginny believed that, even though Sarah and Jeremy really liked each other, it was nothing like what she and Harry had. Besides, Harry being Harry certainly made life more interesting.

The library was crowded with many of the older students who were frantically plowing through the piles of homework their professors had thrown at them in preparation for their OWLs and NEWTs. Ginny stared down at her blank sheet of parchment that was supposed to be her Herbology essay, which was due tomorrow. She glanced at Sarah across from her, whose hand was moving fast across her own page. Ginny put her elbow on the table and rested her head in her hand. She looked over at Harry next to her. He had already finished all of his homework. Of course he had. She had asked him why he never seemed to be working, and he told her that during the night he would sit in the common room and write out all the assignments he was given that day. He didn't need to go to the library because he had already read all the books he would ever need to complete any homework he was assigned. After he read them once, there was no forgetting the information or where it came from. He said it never took more than five minutes.

Ginny perked up slightly at this thought. She didn't really care about Herbology. Her mother made her take it more than anything. What was one little essay? Her eyes narrowed slightly as she tossed an idea around in her head. She knew he could duplicate handwriting perfectly. And it would be nothing to him; he'd have it done in a minute. Literally. She knew he'd do it, if she asked him. And she was guaranteed an O.

She knew it would be cheating. It wouldn't be fair to the other students, who worked so hard on their own essays. But… everyone needed a little help now and then. In the big scheme of things, Ginny just couldn't bring herself to feel guilty. Who would care about one little essay someone did or did not write when people they knew were dying around them constantly?

"Harry?" Ginny breathed so softly that even the sound of Sarah's quill scratching across the parchment drowned out her voice.

She watched his head turn marginally towards her and his eyebrow quirk up.

She paused. What was she supposed to say? "Harry, please write my essay for me. I don't know anything about this subject and couldn't care less." No, that would be… too much like cheating.

"I need some… help," Ginny breathed again, biting her lower lip slightly. Harry looked at her fully and smirked that stupid smirk, the one where only one side of his lips came up. That horribly wonderful smirk that Ginny swore he saved just for her. Oh, he knew exactly what she was asking.

Harry sat there, with that torturous smile on his face that Ginny loved to hate. Or was it hated to love? It drove her crazy, and she knew that he knew this. Something about it always brought a light pink tinge to her cheeks. She could feel them warming slightly now. But his lips in that position on his gorgeous face…

Harry stopped smirking. There were a couple of small movements, and before Ginny could recover from his abrupt change in demeanor, in front of her sat her piece of parchment, filled with words in her handwriting. Harry gave her an unfathomable look and packed her bag for her. She had seen him upset before, also worried, angry, happy… but nothing like what he was now.

"Sarah," Ginny said quietly, startling the girl out of her writing. "I've got to go. I'll see you later, okay?"

"We just got here," Sarah pointed out.

"I know. I uhm… forgot that I had to… I have…" Ginny's voice trailed off. "I'll see you later," she finished quickly, making an exit before Sarah could reply. Harry was right behind her.

The couple walked in silence for a few minutes. Harry walked beside her, yet still led. Ginny wanted to take his hand, like they usually did when they walked, but one look at him told her that she shouldn't. It was always so hard to tell what he was thinking about, and she could never guess because there were so many things it could be. She was sure there were a lot of things that she didn't know about.

Harry held a tapestry away from a wall and motioned Ginny through it. The space was large enough to fit four people comfortably. Harry motioned to the ceiling with his hand, and a small, pale light floated up to one of the top corners. The tapestry fell back into place, and Harry waved his hand again. Ginny had no idea what was going on. He couldn't be angry about the essay, could he? No, Harry wouldn't get angry at her about that. Ginny didn't even know if he was angry or not.

He took a step toward her, and she backed up into the wall. The light cast weird shadows on his face, yet he looked less pale than usual. Even his black hair didn't contrast as much as it usually did. Harry stared down at her, his eyes golden. Ginny wanted to ask… something. She couldn't remember exactly what it was at the moment. She could smell him easily, the scent intoxicatingly wonderful.

Wrong. She was going to ask him about what was wrong. But there wasn't anything wrong, was there? How could there be, with Harry here? There was something wrong with him. That was right. He was acting differently. Ginny was in the process of opening her mouth to ask when suddenly, Harry had grabbed her wrists and pinned them against the wall above her head. She didn't have any time to feel anything before he was pressing her up against the wall, his mouth on hers. All questions immediately disappeared, and there was nothing but Harry.

Ginny didn't know how long they remained lost. When Harry finally broke away—because her doing so was completely out of the question—Ginny's ability to think came back somewhat, and she realized that what had just happened was a new level. Harry had never let himself be that close to her before. The thought scared her. Why now? She became extremely worried about where he was going this afternoon. Was that the reason that he was acting so peculiar? She didn't have time to ask him, though, because he took her face in his hands and lifted it so he could look her in the eyes.

"I love you, he said, his voice deep and serious.

Ginny didn't have the heart to ask what was going on.

"I love you too," she replied in the same tone. His hands dropped from her face, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body even closer to his.

"I'm sorry for… everything," he told her, his voice heavy with regret.

Harry didn't have to specify what "everything" was. Ginny knew. He was sorry that he had brought her into the war, that she had to worry about him constantly, and that her world was forever changed because of what he had told her. He was especially sorry that he was what he was, and that their future together would be extremely hard because of it. He was sorry there were such things as vampires in the first place.

Ginny didn't say anything and just let him hold her, knowing this was what he needed.

"Vampires are attacking a town tonight," Harry said after an extremely long period of silence. "Tamah and I are going to try and stop them."

Ginny's blood ran cold at the word "try." Harry was always so confident about these things. Well, at least to her he was.

"There's twenty-five of them, but we're going to try a ward of Roger's. Tamah went through his room while we were at headquarters and found the plan for it. It's never been tested, so we're not sure if it'll work exactly the way we want it to. Roger modeled it after one of Voldemort's wards that he places on an object, like a wall, that only lets his followers who have a Dark Mark through. His vampires don't have the mark, but our skin is all the same. I'm going to put two wards around the town. The outermost ward will keep people from going into the town but will let the vampires through, their skin being the key. They won't be able to pass back through the ward to leave, though. And the inner ward won't allow them to pass into the town. So the plan is that they'll be stuck in between the two wards, with humans unable to pass into the ring that they'll be trapped in."

"Are you going to be able to put it around the entire town?"

"It's pretty small, so I think so."

"But what are you going to do once you have them caught?"

"Kill them."

"But—" Ginny started.

"There are a lot of flaws with the plan, but it's the best we've got. If they all don't come at once, the ones coming later might realize what's going on. Tamah's going to be on the outside to catch any if they figure it out and try to run.

"And you'll be trapped on the inside, outnumbered."

"The wards can be taken down easily enough," Harry told her. "If things get too bad, I'll take down the outside ward and run. Tamah could help me pick them off, and if we do have to let them go, hopefully some of them will simply return to Voldemort, instead of finding more victims. It wouldn't be nearly as worrisome if we just had more people."

oOo

Harry left Ginny with Sarah and Jeremy just outside the Great Hall. As he was walking away, Ginny called his name. She ran up and kissed him. It was short, but Harry felt all her anxiety in it. She went back to stand next to Sarah, and Harry glanced over his shoulder at her right before he turned the corner. He had to come back. There was no way he would allow Voldemort or his vampires to break her heart by killing him.

Tamah was waiting for him in the front hall of Grimmauld Place. She was smiling slightly, and Harry heard Sirius and Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen. Well, it was more like he heard Mrs. Weasley.

"She has him cornered," Tamah explained laughingly. "He's been listening to her rant for about half an hour now. Guess what the main topic of the conversation is? Or should I say who?"

Harry listened as Mrs. Weasley listed off her concerns about Harry to Sirius.

"... no one knows much about him. I don't care what Dumbledore says, there's something dangerous about that man. Ginny hasn't spoken a word about him to any of us. Just because he's in the Order doesn't mean he should be trusted with my daughter. She's still a child! Just because she thinks..."

"Do you think I should go rescue him?" Harry asked Tamah.

"Might as well. He's already ticked off at me for leaving him down there."

Harry walked down into the kitchen, trying to make his presence known before he actually opened the door. Mrs. Weasley stopped mid-rant when he went down the stairs, stepping noisily on each one.

"Good afternoon," Harry said politely as he opened the door to the kitchen.

"Hey, Harry!" Sirius greeted him enthusiastically, glaring at Tamah when she came in. Tamah shrugged her shoulders and smiled sheepishly, and his anger seemed to instantly dissolve. She had him wrapped around her little finger, Harry thought.

"Hello, Harry," Mrs. Weasley greeted him, and then turned around to the stove.

Harry heard movement upstairs, and a short time later Ron poked his head into the kitchen. "Is she done?" he asked Tamah, who was still by the door. Then he noticed Harry. "Guess so," he said, answering his own question. He walked into the kitchen, followed by Hermione.

"How're you doing?" Ron asked Harry, clapping him on the back.

"Pretty good. Hear about that Puddlemere United game?"

"Of course. That was some pretty crazy stuff," Ron replied. "Hey, Mum, what's for dinner?" he said, walking over to the stove.

"How are the wedding plans coming?" Harry asked Hermione.

"Good. Everything's pretty much done. Just a couple of things here and there that have to wait. Molly's going to make the cake, and we're going to pick some flowers near the Burrow to use. But besides that, everything else is ready. I'm sure I've forgotten something, but I'll remember it eventually."

Hermione said it all in a rush, looking up at Harry. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and Harry knew she was still trying to piece together the puzzle. Get her and Alastor Moody in a room together for any period of time and he was sure they'd have it figured out. He tried to avoid them as much as possible because of this.

The front door opened, and Harry glanced at Tamah. From the look on her face he knew they weren't expecting anybody.

"Harry?" a familiar and excited voice called.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Harry asked Tamah, who looked concerned. They both rushed out of the kitchen back to the hall where a most welcome sight greeted them.

"Mum! Dad!" Tamah exclaimed, rushing over to hug them. At the sight of his parents safely back in Britain, Harry felt a huge sense of relief. He finally let himself think about how much he had missed them and joined in the celebration, hugging Jane and then Adam.

"You're back! I was so worried. I couldn't tell how you were doing and nobody knew anything and…" Tamah gushed.

"Don't you know how dangerous it is for you to come here?" Harry asked Aurora, while Tamah chattered at Jane and Adam.

"Someone had to show them the way," she replied unconcernedly. "I was coming to find you, and I ran into Jane and Adam in the Forbidden Forest so I brought them to see Dumbledore. Harry..." She paused dramatically. "They brought three back with them."

"Three?" Harry asked, elated. "Can they fight?" Even to him, his voice sounded eager.

"Pretty well," Aurora replied.

"Wait," Harry said. "You were coming to find me? Did you find out anything?"

"I asked Joseph about Voldemort's history, and he said that he found him when he was seventeen. He wasn't the one who did it though. Wasn't strong enough, he said." Aurora smiled slightly at this point. "Apparently, they went around trying to find someone strong enough, but didn't. Then Voldemort went on some rampage trying to kill you, once Snape told him the prophecy. After he got himself blown up or whatever, the Death Eaters worked really hard at getting him a body, and Joseph kept searching. Voldemort got a body a few years ago, and Joseph found Zeke."

"Zeke's the one who did it?"

"Yep."

"So he only made two," Harry said to himself.

"Huh?" Aurora asked.

"Nothing," Harry answered. "So... three?" he asked, changing the subject.

Aurora nodded.

"What are their feeding habits?"

"Ah…" Aurora hesitated, and then looked around at Adam.

"Humans," he replied for her. "We tried to get them to see our side of it, but they wouldn't have any of it. But they don't just kill any human. They like to hunt murderers. How did Emily put it? 'Two for one.' The murderer and the victim."

They all heard Ron and Hermione start to come up from the kitchen, so they went up to Roger's room.

"How did you find them?" he asked once he had put a silencing spell on the door. "Is Emily the same one that…"

"Yes," Jane replied.

"And the others?"

"He found them after I ran away."

Harry smiled. He couldn't help himself. Jane was turned by a vampire named Zeke—the same one that was part of the Cold Ones—in order to be his mate. He was cruel to her, and she never forgave him for what he turned her into. Emily had been turned before Jane by the same man. Once she had enough control over her overpowering craving for blood, she ran from him, forcing Zeke to look for a new mate: Jane. Jane and Emily had found each other soon after Jane had run away and had formed an alliance based solely on their shared hatred for Zeke. Apparently, he had found two others and turned them, too. Harry assumed they also ran away from him, but either way, he was extremely glad that they were all here. He was sure that they would work endlessly against Voldemort and the Cold Ones. Zeke was the oldest and most skilled of Voldemort's vampires, his right hand man.

"Are you sure that they can be trusted?" Harry asked Jane.

"Absolutely."

"Perfect. Then we need to leave now and meet them. We've all got a busy day ahead of us," Harry told his family. Even with the threat of twenty-five vampires being unleashed on an unsuspecting town, things were looking up.

oOo

What did he expect her to do? Ginny wondered as she paced endlessly in her dorm room. Just stand around and worry herself into a frenzy? This was stupid. She knew he was fine. He had said he wouldn't be back until late. But how late was late? She glanced at her watch even though she knew the time. One thirty-three. The same time it was ten seconds ago. Angry at herself, she took the watch off and threw it on her bed.

"Go to sleep, Ginny," Sarah whispered from her bed.

"I can't," she moaned.

"Then go downstairs so the rest of us can," Sarah replied irritably.

"Fine," Ginny acquiesced. "Good night."

Before she left the room, she went to her trunk and took out the Map and her Herbology textbook. At least she would have something to do while she waited. She tiptoed out of the room and down the hall. The stairs were dimly lit by a few candles along the wall. The common room fire was still going strong, despite the hour. Ginny sat down in the chair closest to it and lit the candles near her with a flick of her wand. She opened the Map and put it in her lap.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good," she whispered, even though there wasn't anybody else in the room.

The lines danced and swirled across the page. She flipped through the sheets, but everything in the castle was still. Looking to kill time, she started on the first floor and looked over the rooms, studying the passageways she already knew. Then came the second floor. And then the third. She yawned and forced herself not to look at the clock above the fireplace. She adjusted the parchment to show her the fourth floor and saw a couple of dots in one of the abandoned classrooms. Eric Brigham and Mary Greyson. Ginny briefly wondered what they were doing up this late and then tried not to think about it. Still, she kept the Map open to the fourth floor. The two left the room a short time later. Ginny watched the two dots as they traveled together to the Hufflepuff common room. Brigham then walked by himself back down to the Slytherin dungeons. Ginny closed the Map. She didn't want to know anything about what random couples got up to in the night.

Ginny tapped her foot impatiently and looked at her Herbology textbook. She didn't make a move to pick it up off the floor. The clock on the mantle caught her attention with its ticking, and she spent exactly twenty-three minutes watching the second hand revolve around it. She didn't let herself feel anything in those minutes. There was nothing but the hand going around a bunch of numbers.

The portrait to the common room finally opened, and Harry walked in disheveled, but in one piece. Ginny ran over and hugged him, squeezing him with as much strength as she could muster in the late hour.

"Thank goodness you're okay," she said rapidly.

"You should be asleep. We have classes tomorrow."

"I couldn't sleep," Ginny admitted.

"I'm sorry," Harry apologized, sounding miserable. "I know I worry you."

"I'm just glad you're here," Ginny said, standing on tiptoe and kissing his cheek. "Stay with me?" she asked in a small voice.

Harry smiled slightly and nodded, leading Ginny by the hand up the girls' staircase and into her room. Harry lay down on the bed as Ginny took off her robe. She crawled in and closed the curtains, and Harry cast silencing and sticking charms on them. She pulled the covers over her and Harry, and placed her head on his chest.

"Did everything go like you wanted?" she asked him after a moment.

Harry sighed. "Mum and Dad came back," he told her. She could practically feel the happiness radiating off of him. "And they brought three others back with them. They all came and helped tonight. So instead of just me inside the wards, there were six of us. We killed all of them except for one. She came later than the others and saw what was happening. Tamah ran after her, but couldn't catch her. We think she went straight back to Voldemort to report."

"But that's good right? Twenty-four out of twenty-five. And no one on your side was hurt, right?"

"We're all fine. They were newborns and couldn't fight as well as us. And it went very well. Better than I'd ever hoped for."

"Good," Ginny said sleepily.

Harry began stroking her hair, and she drifted off into blissful oblivion.

oOo

The next few weeks were filled with classes and Quidditch. Harry only left for a few Order things that they had him do, which caused Ginny no trouble because she was so used to them. The professors were trying to cram more and more knowledge down their throats as NEWTs approached. There was a Quidditch match three days before Valentine's Day against Hufflepuff that Gryfindor won with ease. The party in the common room was loud and entertaining. Fireworks were set off, and Ginny was pretty sure someone had spiked the Butterbeer. Harry pointed out to her which bottles were safe to drink. Her friend Colin was continuously snapping pictures of anything and anyone. He had Harry and her pose for more than one, and she was pretty sure he had gotten some more when she wasn't paying attention.

Sarah was finally appeased as Valentine's Day arrived. She delighted in getting dressed up and making Ginny help her do her hair. Ginny didn't mind at all. She was glad her best friend was so happy and didn't want to do anything to spoil her good mood. In exchange, Sarah insisted on picking out Ginny's outfit and doing her make-up. Ginny complained that she didn't like wearing the stuff, but Sarah persevered and it was too early in the morning for Ginny to exert the necessary energy to argue with her stubborn friend.

So it was with a yawn that Ginny descended the stairs after her exuberant friend. Sarah had woken her up way too early this morning.

"Now don't forget to smile for the boy wonder," Sarah whispered to Ginny before she practically skipped out of the common room. Ginny's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to discern her friend's strange comment. But she had no problem following Sarah's instruction when she saw Harry's eyes widen at the sight of her. Of course, she looked like she usually did. Sarah had picked out a dark green sweater to wear with her jeans, so she wasn't wearing anything special. Maybe it was the make-up.

"Good morning, Gin," Harry greeted her, his eyes roaming over her. Pleased at his attention, she blushed profusely.

"I swear you do that on purpose sometimes," Harry told her, "just to drive me crazy."

"And I swear _you_ do that on purpose sometimes, just to make me blush."

"Well, you caught me." He kissed her on the cheek and looked into her eyes. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked seriously.

"No," Ginny mumbled, looking down. Harry smiled widely.

"Duly noted."

She glared at him. He placed his hands on her shoulders and ran them slowly down her arms to her hands, pulling them to his face once he had reached them. Ginny shivered… in the good way.

"You're always so warm," he commented. "Ready for breakfast?"

"Mm-hmm."

They were walking down the hall when Harry asked, "Did you do something different to your hair?"

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked, putting a hand to it. It felt… wavy.

Sarah.

"I think Sarah did without telling me."

"I like it."

"Do you want me to keep it like this?" she asked him.

"No. I like it straight better. It catches the light more. But it's nice to have a change every once in a while."

"Duly noted," Ginny replied, mimicking him. He laughed and put his arm around her shoulders.

oOo

The trip to Hogsmeade was uneventful. They went for Ginny's benefit, who wanted to replenish her dwindling supply of chocolate. There wasn't much left to do once they had visited Honeydukes, and Harry rather wanted to be alone with Ginny. She had seemed excited at the suggestion that they go back to Hogwarts and stay holed up in the Room of Requirement the rest of the day. They stopped by the kitchens on their way there, and the house-elves were more than happy to make Ginny whatever she wanted for lunch and dinner and bring them up to the Come and Go Room.

The room was cozier this time. The windows were just as large, but it had started snowing outside, so Harry let the windows look out onto the actual grounds which were covered in a blanket of white. Inside, it was decorated in Gryffindor colors with a huge fireplace in front of them. The house-elves brought up hot chocolate for them as soon as they had sat down in the loveseat.

Harry kissed her and he could almost forget what he was. Ginny had that way about her. He ran his fingers through her hair and, quick enough that she wouldn't be able to tell, pulled a golden, heart-shaped locket out of his pocket and hooked it around her neck. After he pulled back, and after some heavy breathing on Ginny's part, she finally realized there was something around her neck.

"What's this?" she asked him, pulling the heart up in front of her.

"It's a locket. Open it up."

Ginny slid her fingernail into the crack to open it and found the picture he had placed inside. Harry had cornered Colin in the common room while Ginny was talking with some friends to request all the pictures of him and Ginny he had taken the night of the party. Harry had picked his favorite, the two of them with their cheeks together, smiling at the camera, and shrank it until it fit in the small, heart space in the locket.

"It's beautiful, Harry. Thank you." Harry loved to watch her facial expressions. She was smiling slightly, endearingly.

"Turn it over."

He watched her fingers twist the heart around and her eyes squint at the minute script written on the back.

"Eternity," she read aloud.

"It's for how long I'll love you," Harry explained.

"Oh!" Ginny exclaimed, moving into his lap and kissing him fully. "Thank you. Now my present seems kind of silly."

Harry thought Ginny could give him a pile of Hippogriff dung and he would gladly accept it.

She stared off into space for a second, and a wrapped box appeared on the table next to the hot chocolate.

"Happy Valentine's Day," she said, handing him the present.

Harry tore off the wrapping paper quickly and opened the box to find a sweater made from exactly the same green yarn as the one Ginny was wearing.

"I made it for you. My mum has this… thing. Every year for Christmas she makes us a sweater. I figured that you should have one too. It took me a while to make, so that's why you're getting it now instead of at Christmas like you should have. And green just seemed like an appropriate color." Ginny ended her rambling with a shrug of her shoulders.

Harry loved it. And it smelled like her. He didn't think he'd ever wash it.

"I love it, Gin."

"It might be a little big. I didn't know how to measure you without you finding out so I had to go by sight."

"It's perfect. You're perfect," Harry told her.

Harry loved it when she smiled like that.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: So I feel kind of bad that I have three chapters written and I want to give you the betaed version, but I don't think I'm going to have any time at all next week to even get online. So I'm posting them now. Once I have time, I'll post up the corrected ones.

**Chapter 13: Pieces of a Dark Soul**

"Now that my parents are back, I've decided you need to meet them. They've been dying to meet you," Harry said to Ginny one night in the common room. Ginny looked up from the notes that she was studying and looked at him excitedly.

"Really?" she asked. "When?"

Harry smiled at her enthusiasm. "Well, since tomorrow's Saturday, I was thinking…tomorrow."

"That sounds great!" Ginny exclaimed, bouncing a little on the seat. And then suddenly she stopped, and a slightly worried expression came over her face.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

Ginny shook her head to signal that she didn't want to say. Harry gave her a look to tell her that she might as well tell him now.

"What if they don't approve of me?" she asked in a small voice.

Harry laughed loudly and a few heads turned in their direction. "I love you. That's enough for them. And besides, how could they not? You're smart," he said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "And funny." He traced her lips with his finger. "And brave." He kissed her neck. "And absolutely gorgeous," he said, pressing his lips to hers.

"Now what were you worried about?" Harry asked a few moments later. They were in the middle of the common room after all.

"Mmm," Ginny sounded, her eyes still closed. "I don't remember."

"Good."

Ginny opened her eyes to glare at him. "You know, you can't just kiss away my worries like that," she said jokingly.

"I know," Harry replied seriously. "I wish I could, though."

Ginny looked at him sadly. "Stop it. Just enjoy the moment for once. You always get so…" It didn't seem she knew exactly what he got, though, because she just ended with a sigh and went back to reading.

The next morning found Harry in the common room, mulling over Voldemort and his just plain evilness when Ginny bounded down the stairs. Surprised, Harry checked his watch. It wasn't even nine yet, and here Ginny was, dressed and ready for the day…on a Saturday no less.

"You're certainly up early," Harry teased. "Is there any particular reason?"

"Oh come on," Ginny complained. "You said that you'd take me to your parents after breakfast. And I'm ready for breakfast. Let's go." She tugged on his hand.

Who was he to deny her what she wanted? "Okay," he agreed, standing and picking her up, throwing her on his back. No one was in the common room to hear the small shriek of surprise she let out.

"Harry, what are you doing?"

"Well, you seemed to be in a hurry, so I figured I'd run," he answered casually.

"Oh! Please, continue."

Harry chuckled and climbed out of the portrait hole with Ginny holding on to his neck. He then took off through the silent and empty halls, arriving less than a minute later at the doors to the Great Hall.

"We should do that more often," Ginny said breathlessly as she scrambled down.

"Just tell me when and where."

Ginny smiled and led the way into almost empty room. Breakfast passed as it usually did, although it seemed to Ginny like it couldn't pass fast enough. Harry had to remind her to actually chew her food before she swallowed a few times. Harry caught Dumbledore's eye once and could tell from his expression that he wanted to talk to him. He was probably wondering about Harry's unexpected departure during their last meeting. Oh well, Harry thought to himself. Dumbledore would have to wait. Harry didn't look back up at the head table again.

"Okay I'm done," Ginny said, putting down the empty coffee mug that had, just seconds before, been halfway full. Harry gave her an exasperated look but followed her outside.

"Where are we going?" Ginny asked impatiently. "Do we get to take your car again?" There was a slight awe in her voice.

Harry smiled and shook his head. "They're in the forest, waiting on us." He took her hand and started walking toward the trees.

"Oh." Disappointment colored Ginny's tone.

"Is that why you were so excited to meet them? Because you thought you'd get to ride in the car again?"

"Oh, of course not," Ginny said, immediately contrite. "I just…I like riding in the car, that's all."

"I'll teach you how to drive it someday."

"Really?" Ginny asked, as if she didn't believe he would. "You're not afraid I'd break it or something?"

Harry hadn't thought about her actually wrecking the car. "If you did, I'd just replace it I guess." He tried to convey to her that he didn't want her to wreck it, but that it wouldn't be the end of the world if she did.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you're a very good teacher," Ginny assured him.

The couple kept up an easy banter while Harry guided them through the forest. It was cloudy and gray outside, which only made it that much darker in the forest. Harry stopped once he knew they were close.

"Ready?" he asked Ginny.

oOo

Of course she was ready. What a silly question. Ginny answered in the affirmative and Harry lead her around a couple more trees and then his parents came into her sight. They were beautiful, of course, with pale skin and light eyes. Both Jane and Adam were shorter than Harry, and looked—surprisingly—similar to what Ginny imagined them looking like from Harry's descriptions. Adam's skin was darker than any of the other Stewarts' and it looked slightly off because of how pale it was. His dark hair was cropped extremely short and he was extremely built, like he had done strenuous labor all his life. His eyes were kind. Adam's arm was around Jane's shoulders, who was leaning into his embrace. She looked petite next to him, and her long, light brown hair fell slightly over his arm. Ginny smiled at them both and they smiled warmly back.

"Mum, Dad, this is Ginny," Harry said, bringing her in front of him and keeping both his hands on her shoulders.

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Stewart. It's very nice to meet you," Ginny said politely, holding out her hand for them to shake. Neither of them moved for a moment, and then Adam came forward and shook Ginny's hand, followed immediately by Jane.

Harry smiled widely at his parents and had a silent conversation with them that involved only looks. Ginny couldn't even guess what it meant.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you, Ginny," Jane said. "Harry's told us so much about you. You're just as brave as he says you are. And please, call me Jane."

"And call me Adam."

Harry's parents took a step back from Ginny as they were talking to her. Harry conjured seating for the group: two loveseats, facing each other. Ginny thought that he must really have an affinity for love seats. She knew Harry didn't like public displays of affection, so instead of pulling her legs under her and resting her folding knees on his lap, she simply sat down next to him and crossed her legs in front of her. Harry laughed and pulled her legs into their normal position, and Ginny took that as permission and snuggled closer, propping her head on his shoulder. His arm circled around her waist. Ginny tried to judge Jane and Adam's reaction, but they looked nothing but serene. Ginny knew her mother would be raising her eyebrows by now and looking at Harry with suspicion. But his parents simply sat there, holding each others hands, and smiled at the couple. No one seemed to have anything to say, and didn't seemed at all bothered by the silence. Ginny cast around for a topic.

"Are you two going to Ron and Hermione's wedding?" she asked finally.

"Yes. We haven't been to a wedding in ages," Adam said.

"We're looking forward to it. Tamah says they will be very happy together," Jane added. "And I'm so glad they asked her to be the flower girl. She's never been in a wedding before."

Ginny's heart warmed at the motherly tone Jane used. She was so thankful that Harry was raised by these lovely people, instead of those nasty relatives he had told her about.

"Harry says you're going to be one of the bridesmaids," Adam commented, but he raised his voice slightly at the end so it came out more as a question.

"That's right." Ginny scowled at the thought of the dress.

"Do you not want to be?" Adam asked curiously.

"Oh no, it's not that."

"Ginny hates the dress Hermione picked out for her to wear," Harry explained, rolling his eyes. Ginny stuck her tongue out at him.

The conversation continued from there, jumping from topic to topic. Adam and Jane asked her a lot of questions that centered around her and her family. They talked about school and what she wanted to do afterwards. It was very comfortable, sitting there with them. Sometimes the three Stewarts would have a conversation and Ginny was able to just listen to their beautiful voices going back and forth. She wasn't quite sure how the topic came up—Harry and Adam were discussing something another—and she found herself interrupting when she heard Harry say, "No, I haven't told her about that."

"What haven't you told me?" Ginny asked, a slightly accusing tone entering her voice. She felt horrible about it afterward. There was no reason for her to be angry with Harry for not telling her something. She knew he had a lot of secrets.

Harry gave her a look that told her it wasn't a big deal. "How Adam became a vampire."

"Oh." Ginny thought about it. Harry had told her about Aurora, who was from Ireland but couldn't remember being turned, and she had gotten Tamah's story out of the girl herself, and he told her just the other night about Jane and Zeke, and Roger was turned in New York…but he had never told her about Adam.

"Sorry," Ginny apologized.

Harry waved his hand as if she didn't need to apologize.

"I don't remember the date anymore," Adam started. "Human memories fade so quickly. But it was a time when the United States was still young, and they were bringing slaves over from Africa. I was one of those slaves."

Ginny lifted her head up from Harry's shoulder. Adam's low voice made the story even more intriguing.

"I was brought to the States to work on a cotton plantation in South Carolina. I don't remember much of it, but I can tell you that one night I snuck out, planning to escape. They—the guards—saw me, though, and followed me. I got into the woods behind the manor. For a second I had thought I'd lost them, but then something slammed into my side, pinning me to the ground. Something sharp was in my neck and I became weak. I couldn't hear much, the sounds were muffled, but I think the guards found us then, the vampire and I. They started shooting at him, and he left me to attack them. I don't know what happened after that, I passed out. I woke up because of the pain." Adam stopped there, looking at Harry.

"Go on," Harry replied to the look.

"For days all I could do was lay there and wish for my death. But then I began to feel stronger, more alive than I had ever felt before. The pain was there, but beneath it was a sort of strength. I focused on that and it helped. Once the pain went away, I was left like this," Adam said, motioning to himself. "I had no idea what I was, what had happened. There was an animalistic instinct in me that just…took over. I'm ashamed to say I'm the reason that the cotton plantation had to shut down." Regret was evident in his voice and Jane patted him on the hand.

Ginny stayed still, waiting for more, but apparently Adam felt that he had said enough. Ginny wondered if he thought he'd scared her. That thought was quickly followed by one of lunch. Or dinner. She didn't know how late it was but her stomach ached with emptiness. Unconsciously she moved one hand over her stomach.

"Crap," Harry said. "I forgot. You must be hungry."

Dang, Ginny thought to herself. She didn't want to go back to the castle just yet. Harry had other plans apparently.

"Dinner's in ten minutes. At least I remembered in time for that meal." Harry lifted Ginny up slightly and sat her on her feet. His parents got up out of their seat and Harry vanished both pieces of furniture.

"It was wonderful to meet you Ginny," Jane said. "Do you mind?" she asked, opening her arms for a hug. Ginny smiled widely and gladly embraced her.

"Welcome to the family, dear," Jane whispered into Ginny's ear.

Adam shook Ginny's hand once Jane let go, and Harry put Ginny on his back, waving goodbye right before they disappeared into the trees.

oOo

Harry watched as Ginny yawned, again, before taking another sip of her coffee.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, again, as if his apologies would undo Ginny's almost sleepless night.

"And I'm not," Ginny replied, again.

After dinner the night before, Ginny had decided that—although she didn't do much besides talking all day—she was extremely tired. Well, that was what she had told Sarah, anyway. Ginny had quirked her head ever so slightly to the side at Harry right before she had gone up the stairs. Harry had snuck into Ginny's bed right afterward. They had stayed up into the early hours of the morning talking. Harry hadn't realized how late it was. Time didn't seem to matter as much when it came to Ginny. He felt horrible, of course, when Ginny fell asleep during a lull in the conversation. He had checked the time. Three o'clock in the morning.

Ginny was already on her second cup of coffee.

Harry heard the morning mail begin to arrive and the _Daily Prophet_ was brought to him by a delivery owl. After paying and giving the owl a bit of the breakfast he wasn't going to eat, he unfurled the paper and began to read. About halfway through there was a small article about raids being conducted by the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts branch of the Ministry of Magic. Listed as one of the many houses raided was Lucius Malfoy's. Harry knew he was one of Voldemort's inner circle members, so he wondered what Ginny's father had found in the raid. He resolved himself to speak to Dumbledore during lunch.

Classes did little to hold Harry's attention as he thought about the upcoming meeting with Dumbledore. They had a lot to discuss, a conversation that Harry did not look forward to. He was sure Dumbledore knew, even though Harry had never come right out and said it. And now that one of the topics of discussion was going to be Horcruxes, Harry knew it would come up. It just wasn't something he went around talking about. Sirius didn't know…even Ginny didn't know. Not telling them was not done on any conscious level, it seemed to him that he just never got around to it. He would have to tell Ginny sometime, though. He was reluctant about it, however. He didn't want to be the cause of any more sleepless nights.

Harry left Ginny at the entrance to the Great Hall, quickly kissing her goodbye. He was getting better at these public displays of affection. The walk to Dumbledore's office was long. It was so much quicker to run, but there were too many people around. It gave him a chance to think over what he wanted to say, but he still arrived at the gargoyle with no idea. He climbed the stairs slowly and knocked softly on the office door.

"Enter," he heard Dumbledore say. Harry pushed open the door and walked inside.

"Good afternoon," Harry greeted him, shutting the door behind him.

"Mr. Stewart. I have been wondering when you were going to come visit after our last meeting ended so…abruptly."

"I apologize for that, sir," Harry said as he took a seat. "I had to find out how many Horcruxes Voldemort created. I don't want to kill him and then find out there was one we missed."

"Understandably so. Did you find out anything?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"I'm quite sure he only made two, Headmaster."

"How did you come to this conclusion?"

Harry took a deep breath. "As I'm sure you're aware by now, Voldemort was able to track down a vampire strong enough to turn him."

Dumbledore inclined his head and Harry continued.

"He had to find out about vampires first. I had Aurora ask about it, and she said Joseph—one of the Cold Ones—was the first vampire Voldemort met. He was seventeen at the time. Apparently he had heard a whisper of vampires, strong and fast creatures that lived forever. He tracked Joseph, or something to that extent, and was able to use magic to keep Joseph from killing him on the spot. I'm not quite sure of the details. And that's why I think that Voldemort only created two. Because once he found out about a way he could live forever, without going through drastic, soul-splitting measures, it was all he thought about. They teamed up, Joseph had never heard of magic before and it enthralled him, and the two searched for one that was strong enough to bite Voldemort without actually drinking him dry." Harry made an apologetic face at the last comment, but Dumbledore didn't seem to mind.

"Voldemort heard the prophecy before they were able to find one, and he decided he was powerful enough to kill me before I became an actual threat. Which was extremely lucky for us, because Voldemort had to get his followers to get him a new body. But while he was…incapacitated…Joseph kept searching, and he finally found Zeke. Zeke has been around almost as long as Aurora, and he has had his fair share of turning people," Harry said disgustedly, thinking of Jane. "And he was turned two to three years ago. We're not quite sure."

"That's why he has such control over the Cold Ones," Dumbledore stated. "He is a vampire who is capable of doing magic."

"Exactly. Once my family and I met him and we realized what had happened, we knew I'd have to be turned sooner or later. It's why I was so young."

"Well, I must agree with you. I do believe that Voldemort only created two Horcruxes. And since that's the case, I have extremely good news," Dumbledore said happily.

"Yes?" Harry prompted.

Dumbledore pulled out an old, battered book from his desk drawer. He handed it to Harry, who flipped through blank pages and turned it around in his hands, reading the inscription on the back.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle," Harry said. "Voldemort. What is this?" Harry asked Dumbledore, handing the book back to him.

"I believe it is the first Horcrux that Voldemort made while he was still here in Hogwarts. Well, the remnant of said Horcrux. You are familiar with the story behind the Chamber of Secrets?"

Harry nodded.

"The girl that died…her murder was used to create this," Dumbledore said, gesturing to the book.

"Where did you get it?" Harry asked.

"Did you read this _Prophet_ this morning?"

Harry wondered if it had been found in one of the raids.

"Yes."

"Arthur Weasley and his department conducted quite a few raids over the past few days. One of them being at the Malfoy manor. I must confess, I was extremely curious to see what he had found. It was mostly just the usual nasty creations that seem to come from houses of those prejudiced against Muggleborns, but this diary caught my eye. After finding Voldemort's Muggle name on the cover, I wrote a little bit in it. And to my surprise, the diary wrote back, so profoundly and intelligently I knew exactly what it was. I brought it back here and destroyed the soul inside it immediately."

Harry grinned outright at this news. "That leaves us with one."

"And as a continuation of the good news, I think I know where that one is located."

Harry leaned forward and listened attentively to everything Dumbledore said.

oOo

The Gaunt house was rundown, pretty much in shambles. Dumbledore had his wand out and was waving it in intricate patterns around the property. Harry watched in amazement at the knowledge the old man possessed, and felt rather useless. Harry knew the headmaster was checking for wards, traps, things of that sort, but didn't know how to help. It seemed he had everything under control already.

Harry let his mind wander, and of course it went directly to Ginny. She was in for another sleepless night, no doubt. He had walked to her afternoon class, but left to accompanying Dumbledore in the retrieval of whatever artifact that Voldemort had decided to make into a soul safe. Ginny had not been happy that he didn't know when he was going to be back, or exactly what he would have to go through to get the Horcrux. But she had sucked it up, like she always did, and put on a brave front, wishing him luck. Harry thought that her kiss was slightly off and that she clung to him slightly longer than usual. He hated that he caused her so much anxiety. It would soon be over, though. Everything. And then he could finally spend every minute with her like he wanted to.

The air stirred with magic and Harry looked over at Dumbledore.

"We can go in."

Harry followed after Dumbledore and together they started to search the dusty, dirty house. Harry used his magic to sense anything out of the ordinary.

"Over here," he called to Dumbledore. Harry lifted up a floorboard and found a small, wooden box. There was a type of ward around it, but he had read about it before and knew how to cancel it. After doing so, Harry opened it up and lifted out an old, almost battered looking ring. He could practically feel Voldemort radiating out of it.

Harry placed it on the floor between the two of them. "Can you destroy it?" Harry asked Dumbledore, whose wand was still drawn.

"Yes," he replied, drawing the wand in front of him and shooting a spell that Harry had never heard of at the gold ring. There was a cracking sound and the black jewel that was centered in the ring split in two. Dumbledore gave a long sigh.

"It is now just Voldemort himself."

oOo

Elated with their success, Harry ran to Grimmauld Place. The run let him free some of his pent up frustration, anger, sadness, and guilt that he had been feeling. In high spirits, he reached the front door of headquarters and practically threw it open, calling Tamah to come down. Unless they had been in the same room with him, the humans in the house would not have been able to hear him. It was no surprise to Harry, therefore, when only Tamah came to greet him at the door. Harry smiled widely.

"I came to tell you the great news," he told Tamah.

"Great?" Tamah asked, her tone dubious. Harry noticed her eyes were black and her shoulders slumped.

"Well, yeah," Harry said, taken aback by her obvious disbelief. "Dumbledore and I have destroyed the two Horcruxes that Voldemort created. It's just him that we have to destroy now." He paused, his earlier enthusiasm slightly marred by Tamah's reaction. "Why? What did you think I came to tell you?"

"That Aurora had been killed," she replied bluntly.

Harry's eyes widened and he kneeled down in front of her so they were at eye level. "What are you talking about?" he asked anxiously.

"I just…I have this horrible feeling about Aurora. Like she's in danger. I don't know. It's different than it usually is. The feeling…fluctuates. Does that make sense?"

Harry furrowed his eyebrows. "I guess."

"Like this morning, I felt she was sort of in danger. But then all this afternoon I would have sworn that she was minutes from death." Tamah's voice became more panicky towards the end. Harry sat down on the floor and pulled her small body into his lap, cradling her against his chest. Even though her voice gave away her turmoil, her body was completely still in her terror.

"I don't want her to die," Tamah practically sobbed into Harry's chest moments later.

"Shh," he said, patting her back comfortingly. "Aurora's been around longer than all of us. She can take care of herself if worse comes to worse."

"I don't know if she will, though," Tamah admitted.

"Why do you say that?" Harry asked sharply. Even though Aurora loved to live dangerously, she did value her life when it came down to it.

Tamah stopped breathing and refused to answer. Harry held the small child in his arms until Sirius came looking for her.

"What happened?" Sirius asked when he saw the siblings' position. He knelt down beside Tamah and stroked her hair.

Harry recognized the brief look that Tamah gave Sirius before she smoothed her expression. She was hungry, and having Sirius that close was not making things any easier.

"Sirius, if you value your life you should probably leave the room," Harry told him carefully.

"What?" Sirius asked, confused. "Why?" His hand kept stroking Tamah's hair.

"When was the last time you hunted?" Harry asked Tamah in a low voice, quick enough that Sirius would not be able to understand.

"Eighteen days ago," Tamah reluctantly whispered. She winced.

Sirius moved his hand away and looked into her eyes. "Oh. I guess I'll…" he trailed off, backing up. He turned and headed down toward the kitchen.

"Come on," Harry said, taking Tamah with him as he stood up. "I'm taking you hunting." He placed her on her feet. "The wedding's in two days and we can't have you showing up in this state."

His sister nodded and smiled slightly. Harry knew she was looking forward to Ron and Hermione's wedding. "It's getting better now anyway. She's safe for the moment."

Harry hesitated a moment and then asked gently, "Why would she be in danger?"

Tamah didn't meet his eyes as she answered. "I don't know."

oOo

Harry brought Tamah back to Grimmauld Place late that night. Jane and Adam were with the three other vampires and Sirius was already asleep, so Harry decided to spend some time with Tamah while he waited for morning. He wanted to tell Sirius about the destroyed Horcruxes, but figured Sirius wouldn't want to be woken up.

Tamah had disappeared while Harry had gone to see if Sirius was still awake. Harry followed her scent and found her in Roger's room, curled up on his bed.

"I can't imagine how hard this must be for you," Harry whispered as he came in and shut the door silently, taking great care not to wake Sirius or the Weasleys that still resided in the safe house.

Tamah was curled up on the bed and didn't say anything for a moment. Harry didn't feel much like sitting, so he walked the length of the room, stopping at Roger's bookcase.

"I wish I could sleep," she said. "To be able to drift off into nothingness, just for a night. To not think…or feel…" There was a deep misery in her voice that Harry had never heard before.

Harry didn't say anything. Intuition told him that Tamah didn't need lecturing, she just needed company. So Harry pulled down one of Roger's binders that he had never read before. It was smaller than the others and didn't seem to have nearly as many papers. Perhaps this was his latest project that he left unfinished to go to New York.

Harry sat down next to Tamah, who had closed her eyes. He flipped the binder open to the first page. There wasn't a title on the page or a summary, like Roger usually wrote for the others. Instead, the entire page was filled with writing, one big paragraph that continued on for the next three pages. Harry knew Roger liked to write out his ideas sometimes, so he skipped over the journal in favor for the sketches and notes that were behind it.

The fourth page of the binder contained sketches of human and vampire bodies. Roger had made several notations around each that Harry didn't understand, along with what seemed to be references to other pages. Harry flipped over to the next page and found extensive notes on certain medical potions. All the potions listed dealt with healing and regrowing, whether it be bones, skin, muscle, tissue, or even fingernails. The page after that was full of medical jargon and sketches of things that Harry couldn't even guess at. Unable to understand what Roger was trying to create, Harry decided to flip back to the entry at the front.

_By undertaking this project, I know I am setting myself up for the greatest disappointment of all. For even Tamah told me that it is impossible. But I have to try. Nothing in Harry's schoolbooks have mentioned anything for me to work with, and I have just started going through the ones at headquarters. The library is full of medical books so I won't have to buy any anytime soon. I think that a potion has the best chance of success. Vampires' bodies are not affected by some spells the way that humans' are. If I can get the body to accept the potion as if it is blood, then I believe that it will be able to spread throughout the system. Multiple potions might be necessary, depending on the limitations of the first one. It's just so complicated. The organs are completely changed, so even if by some miracle the potion gets rid of the bloodlust, there will have to be one that regrows organs and skin. But what about the organs that are still in there? Would they even regrow human or would they simply not grow back at all? And the skin is nothing like human skin. There's no human skin for a potion to work with, so it would have to change the skin completely. But vampires' bodies will not accept any potion, and no spell would be able to change the cells, either. And if that's the case, would any of the cells be able to be changed? Even if the potion was accepted as blood by the body? I haven't done enough research yet to even think about drawing a conclusion, but I just can't see a way that I can change us back into humans. There's not a piece of us left that's human by any marginal amount, so I would be started from a blank slate, a slate that doesn't want to be changed in any way. But if I changed one piece at a time. If I took off an arm, and then regrew it human…but it would need circulation, which would mean the first thing to be changed would have to be the heart, which is practically impossible to get to, without opening the chest up. And there's no way I can predict the outcome of even attempting that. But if I could get the chest open, and somehow get the heart to accept the potion that would make it human—if I could actually create the potion—then I just might be able to get the other parts human, also. The potion would need to appeal to the body like blood. I would have to trick the body into thinking it was blood, but how would—_

"Harry?" Tamah asked from beside him, sitting up quickly. "What are you reading?" She looked over at the binder and immediately ripped it out of Harry's unresisting hands.

"How long?" Harry's wide eyes bore into Tamah's.

"How long what?"

"How long has he been working on this?" Harry demanded.

"Technically, since last summer," Tamah answered hesitantly.

"And not technically?"

"The idea's been in his head since we found out about the wizarding world."

Harry's mind swirled around all the implications. "This is why Jane and Adam agreed to change me."

"They knew Voldemort was after you. That's why they changed you."

"But they allowed me to negotiate my age down to seventeen because they thought Roger would be able to change me back. To change us all back," Harry said accusingly.

"Don't do this. Not now," Tamah pleaded. "I don't want you to be angry."

Harry took a deep breath out of habit. "I'm not angry. No, of course not." He soften his tone and got up off the bed. Tamah watched him cautiously.

"We were stupid. So stupid," Tamah said miserably.

"So there's no potion?"

Tamah shook her head sadly. "He's tried everything, Harry, believe me. No magic can cure this," she gestured to herself. "It wasn't meant to be cured."

Harry took the binder out of Tamah's hands and placed it back on the shelf that he had taken it off of.

"Everyone but me knew, didn't they?"

The guilty expression on Tamah's face was Harry's answer.

"Why did no one tell me?"

"Because you had just been changed. You were still going through the worst part of the entire process. The time when you are still getting used to being a vampire, when you still remember what it was like to be human. We were going to tell you," Tamah assured him, "when Roger actually started planning things out, but then you met Ginny." She gave Harry a sad smile. "And then we just couldn't tell you, not when we didn't have much hope in the first place. Out of all of us, you would have been the one who would have lost the most when we failed."

oOo

The idea that there was a way to reverse what he had become had never occurred to Harry before. The whole vampire thing had always seemed permanent, even with his discovery of magic. Now that the idea was in his head, and he knew that it was impossible, he felt all the grief that he would have a year ago if he had found out of the possibility with the rest of his family. Tamah was right. The only reason Harry would ever have to change back would be to be with Ginny. But it was now deemed impossible…

Harry glanced up the girls' staircase. Ginny was due down any minute now. The wedding was this afternoon and they were Flooing to the Burrow—which had been warded the day before by Harry and Dumbledore—for the ceremony. Ginny descended the staircase with a spring in her step. Harry couldn't find the courage to tell her about Roger's failed attempt yet.

"Good morning, Gin. How did you sleep?"

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. "Good. I would've slept better if you had been there."

"Ah. I had people to see, things to do."

Ginny laughed lightly. "You had to get a tux didn't you?"

"Perhaps," Harry said evasively as they walked out of the common room.

Ginny rolled her eyes and leaned into Harry's side. "Boys," she muttered.

Harry mussed her hair with his hand. Ginny protested and Harry mimicked Ginny, saying, "Girls."

After Ginny finished smoothing down her hair, Harry gently took her hand in his and kissed it. "I love you," he said.

Ginny's smile lit up the hall like nothing else could. "I love you."

Harry looked at her mischievously. "Wanna run the rest of the way there?"

"Yes," Ginny replied eagerly, already climbing on his back. Harry laughed and took off down the hall, arriving at the office in half a minute.

Ginny's eyes were bright with excitement as she hopped down onto the floor. She kissed him on the cheek and smiled. "It's almost as great as flying."

Harry smiled. "You would say that."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Weakness

**Chapter 14: Weakness**

"You look beautiful," Ginny told Hermione after putting the finishing touches on her hair. They were in her room at the Burrow, the room she had missed so much after they were forced into Grimmauld Place during Christmas break.

Hermione scrunched her nose at herself as she looked in the mirror. "If you say so," she replied.

"Are you nervous?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Sort of. I know we'll be fine. It's Ron, you know? But it's the whole ceremony thing. What if I trip?"

Ginny laughed at her friend's concern. "I'd be more worried about Ron tripping than you."

"He's not the one wearing this long dress. It is pretty, though. I'm glad I went with this one."

Ginny smiled at the dress. "I am too. Though I can't say I'm too happy about the bridesmaids'," she said, picking at her dress. It was a pale green with an open back, the straps in the front coming around to criss-cross once low across the back.

"Oh hush," Hermione told her. "I know for a fact that Harry loves it."

"Hmph," Ginny sounded, crossing her hands across her chest. Inside, though, she was rather happy that Hermione had decided on this one. If Harry liked it, who was she to complain?

"Ready?" Hermione asked.

"Ready," Ginny replied and led the way to the ceremony.

There weren't many people in attendance. Hermione's parents, Ginny's family, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Dumbledore, and Harry and his family were all that were invited. The ceremony was held by the pond. Flowers had been picked earlier that morning and decorated the area. A bug repellant charm had been cast over the entire area, and the weather was just right with only a few puffy white clouds in the sky. Ginny didn't think there was a happier couple out there, besides her and Harry of course. Hermione looked stunning and Ron's face when he first saw her was a source of amusement for Ginny throughout the day. The vows were quick, and before Ginny knew it, her brother was actually married.

Her mother had outdone herself in cooking for the reception. Ginny watched as the Stewarts ate with everyone else as if they did it every day. Ginny had strategically placed herself beside Harry when they were all sitting down to eat.

"How can you eat food?" Ginny whispered halfway through the meal.

Harry looked at Ginny with a slightly repulsed expression on his face and shook his head. "You don't want me to make you lose your appetite. Plus, I fully intend to snog you tonight and I want your complete corporation. I don't think that will happen if I tell you," he ended with a smile.

Ginny's heart began to race and she was fully distracted from…whatever she had asked him about. Ginny looked across the table and saw Tamah roll her eyes in Harry's direction. He smirked back.

Music started playing and Ron and Hermione went over to an open tent that had been set up for dancing. Ginny watched as the happy couple had their first dance. They had it so easy. Both of them were human.

The song ended and Ginny was pulled out of her seat by a cool, strong hand and led to the dance floor. Harry wrapped his arms around her and she laid her head against his chest. She felt him rest his chin on top of her head. It was getting a little cooler outside now that the sun was beginning to set and she shivered despite herself. Wincing, she waited for Harry to pull away like he usually did when her body gave away that she was cold. And then she waited some more.

oOo

Harry wasn't going to, not this time. It was high time that he accepted the fact that he was vampire and that sometimes it would affect Ginny. She always hated when he pulled away when she was cold, and right now he couldn't find it in him to make her upset.

The wedding had been practically perfect, in Harry's opinion, and he was sure that Hermione was extremely pleased with how well everything went. Ginny looked as gorgeous as ever, and there was no way he was leaving tonight without explaining to her how wonderful she was. He felt her smile against him and discreetly cast a minimal warming charm on her. In response, she snuggled closer to him.

Harry wondered if they would ever have a wedding. They had never talked about it before. It was easier for both of them if they just lived in the present. But the future was looming nearer each day now that Harry was so close to destroying Voldemort forever. What would they do once she graduated Hogwarts? Would he be able to watch her grow old while he stayed seventeen? What would happen when…? He didn't want to think about it. The one thing that he refused to think about had been cropping up in his mind more and more lately. Something about knowing the end of Voldemort—or himself—was near had a way of making him think of other ends.

Focusing on Ginny's breathing helped Harry to clear his thoughts for the moment. The future didn't matter right now, not when he had her here in his arms.

"Harry," he heard Tamah say. He ignored her, not wanting to bother Ginny right now.

"Harry," Tamah repeated, her voice more insistent. He looked up briefly to her where she was standing with Adam by the pond. He raised his eyebrows a fraction to show he was listening.

"Voldemort's planning something. Something that will cause a lot of pain."

"When?" Harry whispered. Ginny made no indication that she had heard him, but he knew she did. Perhaps she was used to his random, one-sided conversations by now.

"In the next couple of days."

"I've already talked to Dumbledore," Adam chimed in. "He says he won't know anything until Snape gets back, whenever that will be."

Harry nodded his understanding and twirled Ginny around as a faster song began to play.

"Is everything okay?" Ginny asked at a pause.

"We don't know yet. It's not anything you need to worry about, though."

Ginny scoffed and Harry imagined the nightmares she must have because of what he told her. He hated that he had exposed her to such a world that most people never see.

"Just have fun. Today's no time to worry about things we have no control over," Harry instructed.

Ginny rolled her eyes at him but she seemed to take his comment to heart. They stopped dancing only long enough for Ginny to get something to drink and rest for a song.

Harry couldn't stop smiling. He knew that the only thing he needed to be happy in life was Ginny. It was nice to have their relationship accepted by her family, though, because it made her happy. And he couldn't help feeling a bit of pride when he heard Hermione's parents talking to themselves about what a beautiful and sweet girl Ginny was and how in love she looked.

Harry watched as Ron and Hermione approached, arms around each other.

"Sorry to interrupt," Hermione said. "But we're heading off."

"Honeymoon and all. You know how it is," Ron said to Harry, winking. Hermione looked as if she wanted to glare, but the smile on her face would not cooperate with her.

Ginny detached herself from Harry to hug Ron then Hermione. She leaned in close enough to Hermione so Ron couldn't hear.

"I don't _ever_ want to hear about any of the next week, do you understand me?" Ginny whispered threateningly.

Hermione laughed lightly and nodded.

Harry watched them go with a horrible feeling of jealousy. To just up and get married, with no limitations between them. Ginny kissed his cheek and took both his hands in hers.

"What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked innocently.

"You're not moving, in the freaky way that you guys do sometimes."

"Oh." Harry took one of his hands out of Ginny's and then led her through the crowd of people saying their goodbyes to the happily married couple. Instead of going toward the house, he veered off into the darkening trees that surrounded half of the pond.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Ginny asked after Harry stopped about twenty yards in.

"I'm just…it's just hard to watch them together," Harry answered after a couple of moments.

Ginny's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Why?"

"Because it's so easy for them."

Ginny didn't need to say anything. Harry could tell by the look on her face that she understood perfectly.

But it could be easy, Harry thought.

"Harry?" Ginny asked, worried.

"What?"

"You stopped moving again. You stopped breathing. Are you okay?"

She was worried he was losing control over the urge to hurt her. That was his usual reaction when the temptation was too much. Stop moving and don't breathe. If he didn't breathe, then he couldn't smell her.

"I'm fine. It's not that…I was just thinking…things I shouldn't be thinking," he said cryptically.

Ginny blushed. Harry could practically see the blood rushing to her face.

"What were you thinking?"

He wondered what he had said to make her blush…

Oh. Now he _was_ thinking things that Ginny should blush at. Harry wondered how the conversation turned from serious to this.

"Just how absolutely stunning you look tonight," Harry told her, kissing her neck.

"Really now? Anything else?"

"How it took an extreme effort on my part to keep my hands in their proper places while dancing," Harry said while placing his hands on the small of her back, and then moving them down a little.

"Oh?" Ginny asked, breathless.

"Yes. And I do believe I said earlier I was going to snog you tonight. I was thinking about the best way to go about that."

Ginny smiled. "I'll show you," she replied and then pressed her lips to his.

oOo

Harry and Ginny Flooed back to Hogwarts later that night. Dumbledore was already back in his office, sitting at his desk. Harry didn't remember seeing him leave the wedding. Of course, everyone had left by the time Harry and Ginny had realized the time.

Snape was standing in the corner farthest from the fireplace, a small scowl on his face.

"Mr. Stewart, could I have a word, please, before you go to the tower?"

It had to be about whatever Tamah was telling him earlier. Snape was back with information on Voldemort's plans.

Harry sat down on one of the chairs facing Dumbledore's desk while Ginny took the other on his left. Snape's scowl grew more pronounced. Dumbledore looked fully prepared to start talking when Snape said,

"Miss Weasley, I believe the Headmaster said he wanted to talk to Mr. Stewart, not Mr. Stewart _and_ Miss Weasley."

Harry could practically feel Ginny's hatred toward the man. An image of Harry leaping out of his seat, snarling, and baring his teeth and the greasy-haired git came into his mind. Harry smiled slightly at the extremely frightened look on the potions master's face, and then glared at the real one in front of him.

"I'll tell Ginny anyway."

Dumbledore stepped in before Snape could retort.

"Professor Snape has brought us some extremely disturbing news. Death Eaters are attacking Diagon Alley tomorrow afternoon. And Voldemort has a 'secret weapon' of some sort that he will be releasing," Dumbledore said significantly. "He did not mention to Professor Snape what it is."

Great. Another battle. This secret weapon had him worried. It could be many things, all of which involved vampires. Voldemort might finally be allowing the Cold Ones to attack in plain sight, it could just be one of them there to help the Death Eaters, it could be the one trained newborn that had escaped the last attack, or it could be an entire group of newly created ones. Harry wondered if Voldemort was willing to risk the lives of all the Death Eaters in order to kill everyone else. Yes he was.

"Do you have a plan of action, yet?" Harry asked Dumbledore.

"Find out what the secret weapon is."

oOo

Harry walked Ginny to the girls' staircase and kissed her goodnight.

"I'll see you in the morning."

"Be safe," Ginny instructed him.

"Of course."

Ginny gave him a long look and then walked up the staircase.

Aurora had only gone to the wedding ceremony, so Harry assumed she was already back with Joseph. He had no idea how to get in touch with her. But if Snape knew about the attack on Diagon Alley, the vampire—or vampires—that were going must know too. Harry put his faith in Aurora and Joseph and went to wait in the Forbidden Forest at the spot he and Aurora usually met at.

It was nothing to stand there for six hours, still as a statue. Harry's mind was so engrossed with thoughts about Ginny that at some points he even forgot to breathe. Thankfully, Aurora came before the dawn. If Harry's mind had not been so occupied, he would have worried whether or not she was actually coming.

"Hey," Aurora greeted him distractedly.

"What's up with you?" Harry asked.

"Something's wrong with Joseph."

"What?"

"I have no idea. He was just acting…off." Aurora looked upset.

"Do you think he suspects you?" Harry asked anxiously.

"No. I don't think so. Maybe." Aurora shrugged. "But he did tell me about a plan Voldemort's concocted to—"

"Attack Diagon Alley tomorrow afternoon," Harry finished.

"Right," Aurora agreed, not asking how Harry knew. "I'd say it's more of a publicity stunt more than anything else—if he wasn't sending Olivia and Garrett, too."

"Garrett?"

"The newborn that got away in February. Joseph helped train him. Apparently he's the new apple of Voldemort's eye."

"So it'll be his big debut." Harry smiled.

"Something like that," Aurora replied, not looking amused.

"Well, we can handle that. And if we get everyone involved, I bet we can round up all those Death Eaters before they do any damage."

"Good luck with that."

"Are you sure you're okay? Do you want to talk about it?" Harry asked concerned.

Aurora closed her eyes and sighed. "Not really. There's nothing I can do about it. It's not like I can go up to him and ask him if he knows I'm reporting everything he tells me back to Harry freakin' Potter."

"How are you doing with the whole hunting thing? No more humans, right?" Harry's voice was hard and his eyes were tight, listening closely for any sound that might indicate a lie.

"No, Harry. I promised Tamah." Aurora sounded miserable and repentant. Harry wondered if Tamah was still harassing her about it every time she saw her. Harry hoped so. "Besides, it's a lot easier now. Joseph seems to except that I don't hunt humans. We've been talking about it more recently. He doesn't ask me to come hunting with him anymore."

Joseph was an enigma to Harry. Aurora rarely said much about him, to Harry at least. All Harry knew was that he was a great fighter, kept mostly to himself, and was really good at reading people's faces. He could even discern the faint nuances in Voldemort's expressions when he talked to people. It came in handy if he wanted to know what someone was thinking without actually breaking into their mind. And if someone was lying to him.

"Has he been asking any suspicious questions?" Harry asked Aurora.

"That's the thing. He hasn't been doing anything differently. He acts the exact same as usual. I think I may be imagining things."

"If you ever get the feeling that he knows, or is about to attack you, or is even contemplating the idea of maybe attacking you, run, and don't stop until you're at least a country away."

Aurora smiled faintly at Harry's command.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I better get going."

"Thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me…to us."

"Just make sure you kill those _things_ tomorrow."

"We'll try our hardest," Harry replied and watched as Aurora disappeared into the trees without a backward glance.

oOo

"It could be worse," Harry said when he was back in Dumbledore's office. The sun was just beginning to come up over the horizon and Dumbledore was already seated at his desk. Harry wondered how he—a human—went without so much sleep. "The Death Eaters are attacking, and two vampires are going to be with them."

"What do you know about the vampires?"

Harry told him about Olivia and Garrett's histories, what they were capable of, and what to expect from them.

"What do you propose we do?"

"Well, sir, you've got a couple options,"

"Let's hear them," Dumbledore replied.

"Option A," Harry began, "let the Order fight the Death Eaters while we take care of the vampires. There might be some casualties, but we wouldn't have to expose the three vampires that Jane and Adam brought back. Voldemort doesn't know about them yet, because Garrett didn't see them in February. It'll be the four of us against the two of them, plus whatever Death Eaters we take down after we deal with Olivia and Garrett. Option B, the Order stays out of it, no one dies, and Voldemort finds out that we're gathering outside forces against him."

"If Voldemort learns that you're creating an…army, what do you think he'll do?"

"Create even more vampires."

"And if that happens even more people would die," Dumbledore stated sadly.

"Yes," Harry agreed.

"The Order was formed as resistance to the very thing that will be taking place today. We'll fight," Dumbledore told Harry.

Harry nodded. "Prepare them as best you can. I don't know how obvious Olivia and Garrett will be about what they are. I don't even know their goal, but stress the importance to the Order members about healing all cuts when they're formed. Garrett's not old enough to be able to control himself if enough blood is exposed."

"I'll make sure they know," Dumbledore replied. "And I'll be subtle."

"That's all I can ask," Harry answered. "I must go inform my family of the attack. And talk to Ginny…" Harry said, more to himself than Dumbledore. He stood up and made his way to the door, his thoughts on what he was going to tell Ginny. As he was closing the door behind him, Harry remembered exactly where he was and nodded a farewell to Dumbledore. The headmaster inclined his head back and Harry closed the door.

Ginny was probably still asleep. Harry had to tell her what was happening, even if he felt horrible for waking her to do so. The castle was quiet as he ran through the halls. When he reached the portrait of the Fat Lady he had to tap the frame to wake her up. Startled from her slumber, she toppled over in her chair before letting Harry in.

Nothing was more peaceful than watching Ginny sleep, the gentle rise and fall of her back as she breathed calmed Harry's nerves. He needed to make this quick; his family needed to be told as soon as possible.

"Gin," Harry said, stroking the side of her face as gently as he could.

"Hmm," he heard her say, but she wasn't anywhere near awareness.

"Ginny, I'm sorry, but you need to wake up. I have to talk to you before I leave," Harry whispered into her ear.

"Just a couple more minutes," she mumbled back.

Harry leaned down and kissed her cheek, her eyelids, and finally her lips.

"Well that's certainly one way to wake me up," Ginny replied more cognitively even though her eyes were still closed. "What's going on?"

"My family and I are going to Diagon Alley to counter Voldemort's attack. Dumbledore's going to send any Order members that want to fight there, too. Two of Voldemort's vampires are going to be there," he informed her as he stroked her hair. "I don't know when I'll be back. I don't think it'll take long to stop them, but we're going to need to help fix whatever destruction they're able to cause before we stop them all."

"Voldemort himself isn't going, right?" Ginny asked worriedly, opening her eyes.

"No," Harry assured her.

"Good." Ginny snuggled back down into the covers, but she kept her eyes on Harry's. "Stay alive," she ordered.

Harry nodded and kissed her goodbye. "Go back to sleep," he whispered and then disappeared out of the dorm room.

oOo

It seemed to Ginny that Harry was becoming absent more frequently lately. And it bothered her. A lot. She felt really bad that she hated Voldemort more because he took Harry away from her instead of because of all the death and destruction he caused. Yesterday morning she had to eat breakfast alone, during classes she had to partner with Sarah, in between classes she had walked without Harry there holding her hand, and she had sat with some friends in her year while she worked on her homework. Her day always felt so empty when Harry wasn't there. And today he was off at some Order meeting to discuss the attack on Diagon Alley that had taken place yesterday. At least the meeting would be a victory celebration, rather than some painful gathering to swap 'what if' scenarios.

For their side had won, thanks to the Stewarts as always. Harry had come back during dinnertime yesterday, practically skipping with joy. Well, if he was one to skip. Ginny couldn't remember anything except his graceful glide. The Order members had captured some of the Death Eaters—the ones that the Stewarts didn't get to—and Olivia and Garrett had been killed. Harry gleefully whispered to Ginny about their demise while she ate her dinner. Adam and Jane had cornered Garrett first and killed him while Harry and Tamah worked together to take down Olivia. Harry dismembered her and Tamah happily burned each individual piece.

Ginny had taken all this information in without even wincing. She was used to these stories now. It was hard to believe that less than a year ago she wouldn't have even imagined a world even more secret than the wizarding one she lived in. And it was hard not to smile at the relief that showed plainly on Harry's face. He had always harbored a deep fear since Christmas that Olivia would come for Ginny when he wasn't there to stop her.

Sleepless nights were beginning to catch up with Ginny. She rubbed her eyes tiredly and tried to focus on the essay she was writing instead of Harry. The library was quiet and she was near a window, the sun on her back was making her warm. It was hard to focus when all she wanted to do was sleep. But she had to finish the essay. It was due tomorrow. The thought helped her quill to move across the page.

The door to the library opened and Ginny looked up automatically. In walked Michael Corner, immediately spotting Ginny and making a beeline for her. Frantically, Ginny looked back down at her parchment and immersed herself in writing, trying hard to look like she hadn't seen him walk in.

"So how's it going Ginny?" Michael asked as he sauntered over to her table.

Curse Harry and his stupid involvement in the stupid Order, Ginny thought bitterly. Michael didn't dare approach her with Harry anywhere near.

"Fine," she replied, glancing up once to acknowledge his presence and then back down at the essay she was writing to—hopefully—portray the message that she was busy and did not want to talk. Michael was having none of it. He flopped down in the seat next to her, inching in closer and reading the essay she was busy writing. Ginny tried to ignore the extremely uncomfortable feeling that she had with him so close. And how annoying he was.

"Why are you inside on such a nice day?" he asked, motioning to the nearby window and the sunny grounds that could be seen through it. "Take a break. We could go take a walk around the lake," he suggested hopefully.

"I have a lot of homework to catch up on," Ginny replied, not wanting to be really rude.

"Stewart have you at his beck and call, huh?"

"Excuse me?" Ginny asked in a dark tone. She reached down and fingered her wand that was in her pocket.

"I'm just saying…rumors don't just start up on their own. They always have some basis in fact."

Ginny glared, but before she could retort Michael kept digging his hole deeper.

"So since I haven't seen Stewart all day, I figured I'd show you how a girl like you is _suppose_ to be treated."

Ginny sat there for a second. She didn't feel the quick, red anger that came when her brothers did something to piss her off. No, this was a slow and cold fury that spread through her like ice. She clenched her wand in her hand and held it threateningly at Michael's neck. His eyes widen in shock. Apparently he was expecting his suggestion to be taken with gratitude.

"Don't _ever_ speak to me again," she hissed at him. "If I see you even _looking_ at me, I will come over there and hex you so bad not even your own mother will want to look at you."

Ginny doubted that even Harry, with his super speed, could have run out of the library as fast as Michael did. Ginny hoped that Harry was not in the habit of scanning the minds of the Ravenclaws on a regular basis. If he found this incident in Michael's head, there was no telling what he'd do to him. Make good on Ginny's threat, no doubt. Ginny's frown lightened somewhat as she imagined Harry's reaction. No…even that insulting, irritating Michael didn't deserve that.

Thinking about Harry calmed her anger down enough that she was able to finish her essay and even start studying a new chapter for the NEWTs. She loaded her bag up with her books when she couldn't take anymore studying, setting the rolled-up parchment carefully on top. Harry had been gone almost the entire day. He should be back soon. Excited and anxious, she left the library and turned towards Gryffindor tower.

Ginny's shoulder started to ache from the weight of her bag halfway there. She switched it from her right shoulder to her left and sighed. It hadn't helped. She furrowed her brows. She had that nagging feeling that someone was watching her. Ugh. She hoped it wasn't Michael. Did that boy have any sense? As casually as she could, she glanced behind her to see Mary Greyson, book open and walking slowly, several meters away from her. Ginny couldn't remember seeing her anytime before that. Still wary, her pace increased slightly and she hoped she wouldn't have to wait on the upcoming staircase to move to the platform she was walking toward. Unfortunately, there was no staircase present when she reached it. She turned back around and found herself almost face to face with Mary, her book strangely absent.

"Hello," Ginny said politely, but Mary did not respond. Ginny tilted her head to the side slightly, examining the girl. Something wasn't right. Ginny walked past the girl, back the way she came. She was about five meters away when she happened to glance back. Mary had pulled out her wand. Ginny turned completely around to face her, wondering what on earth was going on.

"Avada Kedavra," Mary said in a monotone.

Ginny had no time to react. She saw the green light head toward her, yet her feet wouldn't move. The spell was moving so slowly, yet Ginny knew that she would not be able to get out of the way in time. She thought of Harry and what he would think when he found her, when suddenly a white blur shot in front of her. The curse hit Harry straight in the chest.

Ginny couldn't breathe.

But then, she realized Harry had not fallen. Instead, she watched as he flicked his hand towards Mary and she fell to the ground, Stunned.

"Gin, are you okay?" he asked.

Ginny moved her mouth, to tell him that she was fine, but no sound came out. She had forgotten how to speak.

"Ginny," Harry said hurriedly, almost angry.

"I—I'm fine," she finally managed to stutter.

"Do you have the Map with you?" he asked urgently.

"Um…" Ginny couldn't think. The Map. Did she have it? "Yeah. It's in my bag."

Harry reached towards the bag and before Ginny could blink, the Map was open in his hands with lines criss-crossing over the page. She hadn't even heard him say the password.

Harry closed the map just as quickly as he had opened it and placed it back in her bag.

"Get on my back," he commanded.

Ginny immediately climbed on and before she could ask what was going on, he sped off through the halls and to the common room. He practically snarled the password at the Fat Lady and placed Ginny inside.

"Do _not_ leave the common room until I get back," Harry instructed.

"What's going on?" Ginny asked, coming out of her previous stupor, but it was too late. Harry was already gone.

She sat down next to the portrait hole, leaning up against the wall. She could not muster the energy to even walk over to the nearest chair. Harry had been hit with the Killing Curse, and yet…there he was. Alive. She knew it had happened once before, when he was a baby. But no one knew why. Perhaps he was immune to the curse, Ginny thought. It didn't really matter, not in the long run. It was just another item added to the list of things that could not kill Harry Stewart. As Ginny sat there, the weight of what she had just witnessed fully sunk in. Harry could not be killed with magic. The thought made her feel oddly safe, as if she was assured Harry would always be there. And in reality, he was. Vampires were immortal. They could live forever. Harry could live forever.

And that was when it fully hit her. She was going to die.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Realizations of Immortality

**Chapter 15: Realizations of Immortality**

Harry had told Ginny before that he could live forever, provided that nobody killed him. She had accepted it when he told her, deciding to think about it later. It occurred to her now that she had never gotten around to it. Now that the thought had occurred to her, it didn't seem to take any time at all to find a solution. She knew what she had to do. It scared her slightly how easily she had made the decision. Perhaps she had already made it a long time ago.

The students in the common room gave her sidelong looks when they thought she couldn't see. She was sure they were wondering what was going on. Harry practically throwing her in the common room and then leaving after a few whispered words probably didn't bode well. Ginny didn't know how long she sat there, but it must have been past curfew because when she looked up from her tapping foot the common room was crowded with people. She had homework she should have been doing, but it all seemed inconsequential now.

Sarah came and sat beside her after a while.

"What's wrong, Ginny? People say you've been sitting here for hours."

Ginny looked at Sarah for so long she started to squirm under her friend's gaze. "What?" she asked. "Do I have something on my face?" Sarah reached her hand up to her cheek.

"Do you love Jeremy?" Ginny finally asked quietly, looking back at her feet.

"I—I think I do," Sarah answered after a moment.

"What would you do if he died?"

"Why are you asking such a thing?" Sarah asked alarmed.

"Please, just answer the question."

"I don't know," Sarah answered honestly. "I'd be miserable."

"Do you think you'd ever get over it?"

"What's going on, Ginny?" Sarah's voice was soft, patient.

"Would you?" Ginny insisted.

"I don't know," Sarah stressed. "People die all the time, so I suppose."

Ginny didn't say anything after that. Sarah sat with her in silence for a while.

"Come on upstairs," Sarah said to Ginny. "I'll braid your hair."

Ginny glanced at the portrait hole. She didn't know when Harry would be back, and she did like when Sarah braided her hair.

"And I'll tell you the latest gossip," Sarah added, pulling Ginny up by the hand. Ginny let herself be steered up the stairs, trusting that Harry would find her when he got back.

oOo

Harry didn't come back until Ginny was in bed. Her roommates were probably still awake, but couldn't have noticed Harry's entrance. He was silent as he slid between the curtains surrounding her bed. She was about to sit up when she was suddenly in his lap, pulled against in chest in a tight embrace. Harry seemed unnaturally still. Ginny sensed that right now was not the time for questions, so she let Harry hold her, enjoying the closeness he rarely let himself have with her. Ginny was sure all her roommates had fallen asleep once Harry started talking.

"I love you," Harry whispered sadly. "I don't tell you that enough."

"I love you, too," Ginny replied, pressing herself closer to him. "And you don't need to say it all the time. I know you do whether you tell me or not."

Harry didn't say anything more, but Ginny felt he would be more open to questions now.

"So is someone out to get me or something?" she asked in a halfhearted attempt to joke about the situation.

"Yes," Harry answered gravely.

Ginny jerked away from his embrace to look at his face. "What do you mean?"

"Voldemort is the reason you almost died tonight."

"Mary's working for Voldemort?" Ginny asked astonished. She just didn't seem the type.

"No, Eric Brigham was working for him."

He did seem the type.

"But what does that have to do with Mary? And why is Voldemort targeting _me_ of all people?"

"I guess I'll start at the beginning?" Harry asked.

"That's usually how it works out best," Ginny replied.

"Something had always been…off about Brigham. Every time I would scan the Slytherin table to look at their thoughts—you know, to check if anyone knew anything new about Voldemort," he said to explain his actions, "he was always thinking about Mary Greyson. I never really thought much of it. I mean, you're constantly in my thoughts. But then the things he was thinking were just…weird. Like when she ate, that's pretty much all he would think about. I realized tonight, as soon as I heard those words come out of Mary's mouth, that he had her under the Imperious all year long."

Ginny gasped in surprise.

"Once I left you in the common room, I went to find Brigham. He had been hiding behind a tapestry when you were attacked, and wasn't there when I returned. But I followed his scent, and that led me to an empty classroom, where he was writing a letter to Voldemort."

Ginny could not believe that this all had happened, right here in the castle that was suppose to be one of the safest places.

"So I killed him."

Ginny was not proud of what came out of her mouth next. "What did you do with the body?"

Harry had apparently not anticipated the question. He grimaced. "I took him to Little Hangleton—it's where Voldemort grew up—and left him there with a note."

"What did the note say?" Ginny asked.

Harry sighed. "Basically that Voldemort would have to do better next time. I know I shouldn't antagonize him, but…" he shrugged. "I was really angry."

"Will they find his body anytime soon?"

"I activated his Dark Mark, so yes, I would assume they've already found it."

There was something else that Ginny had asked, but she couldn't remember it at the moment.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Harry said with relief after a moment of silence, pulling her back against his chest. She remembered what she wanted to ask.

"Why was he targeting me? Was it to get to you, like last time?"

Ginny would have thought he hadn't heard her because she had asked in such a small voice, but she knew he had. So she sat there a moment, waiting for him to think or whatever he was doing.

"I hate it that I keep doing things to make you a target," Harry said painfully.

"What do you mean?"

"I think Voldemort was trying to take revenge on my by killing you, because we destroyed Olivia and Garrett yesterday. And a lot of his Death Eaters. Just like at Christmas."

"But he didn't kill me…again," Ginny said. She felt Harry stop breathing. "He's not just going to let it go, is he?" she asked worriedly.

"I won't let anything hurt you."

"You didn't answer the question."

"No, no he's not," Harry replied, wrapping his arms more protectively around her and kissing her hair.

Ginny steeled herself. She already knew what his reaction would be. "Then we'll just have to make sure he has a harder time killing me next time," she said with meaning. Harry froze.

"What do you mean?" he asked carefully, pulling away so he could watch her face.

Ginny looked straight into his eyes. "Make me like you. Make me a vampire."

oOo

Of all the things that Harry was expecting her to say, that was the absolute worse.

"No," he told her immediately. There was no way he was dooming her to the wretched lives of vampires. When he chose to be turned, it was because he had no other choice. Voldemort had to be stopped, and if the prophecy was to be believed, Harry was the one who had to do it. Ginny, however, already had protection. The Stewarts and the Order were there to keep her safe. And she was not Harry Potter. Voldemort wouldn't come after her with as much fervor as he did Harry.

"Please don't think I'm asking this of you just because I'm worried about Voldemort," Ginny said. "Today made me realize that..." She looked at him apologetically. "That I'm going to die one day. And you'll just…" She closed her eyes. "You'll just keep living."

"There's no way I could live without you."

"What are you going to do?" Ginny asked, almost angrily, opening her eyes. "Stay with me until I just wither up and die?"

"Yes."

Ginny took a deep breath. "No. If you can't grow old with me, then I'm not going to either."

"You are _human_," Harry emphasized, trying to make her understand. "Don't throw that away so carelessly."

"So I'm careless now? Wanting to be with you forever?"

"Wanting to throw your life away so you can is," Harry retorted. "You will be with me forever, just not as a vampire."

"Sure. I'll be with you as long as I live. I'll be ninety and you'll be preserved in your perfect, seventeen-year-old perfection. And then I'll die and I won't have you anymore!" Ginny's voice broke at the end and Harry wrapped his arms around her, drawing her warm body against his cold one.

"I fully intend to follow you wherever you go."

Ginny's breath hitched and she didn't move for a moment.

"I—I don't understand," she whispered.

"When you die, I die with you," he explained. How could she not see that? He loved her more than anything. His life was nothing without her in it. There was no reason for him to live. Nothing could keep him on earth if Ginny wasn't. Not even his family, and they knew this.

"I don't want you to die," Ginny told him miserably.

"I want to be where you are. Wherever you are. And if that's death, then so be it."

"It doesn't have to be death," Ginny pleaded. "We could be together forever, here. Alive."

Harry shook his head although she couldn't see it. "No. This life… I would never choose it for you."

"_I'm_ choosing it for me. For _you_. Isn't that enough?" Ginny asked in a small voice.

Harry didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to tell her that it was enough…on her part. But there was no way that he would change her, end her life. For being a vampire wasn't truly living. Not when there was no heartbeat.

oOo

Something passed between them that night. Harry knew it just as Ginny did. There was always something more in their glances now. Harry would look over at Ginny in any one of their classes, and she was always looking back, that same fierce, pleading expression in her eyes. His answering expression was always the same: no.

Now that Ginny had voiced his fears out loud, not a moment was spent when a portion of his mind was not occupied with the thought of her growing old. Of her dying. He wanted so badly to give her what she wanted: immortal life. He knew she didn't understand. There was no way anyone could until they had experienced the agony of the transformation and the constant pain of thirst. But she would accept those things. All vampires dealt with it. So why could he not bring himself to say yes? He wanted her with him more than anything. How…perfect life would be if they could stay together forever. If he didn't have to control himself constantly around her. If he could kiss her the way he wanted to. If…it was always the ifs. If she stayed human…if she became a vampire…if she was killed…if he was killed…if Voldemort was killed…if she didn't have a family…if it wouldn't wreck her life…

Why wouldn't he turn her? It had nothing to do with him. If he had his way, she would already be a vampire. But she was Ginny Weasley. She had a heartbeat, blood. She had a life. She had wonderful friends. She had a huge family whom she loved and who loved her. She had a future. He could not…would not…be that selfish and take that away from her to doom her to wander the earth forever with him. No matter how wonderful it sounded to his mind.

Harry had tried to explain to her that night she had first asked him to turn her just what she was asking. It was hard for someone who wasn't a vampire to understand. She saw him be hit with the Killing Curse, so he had tried to tell her how his body was dead in a human sense. He had no blood running through his veins, no need for oxygen. The constant thirst was especially hard. The flaming in his throat, the burning he could not control. She understood the concept, but not exactly what it meant.

And yet after all his effort, not a day went by when she didn't ask to be turned.

They were in Charms currently. Harry listened to Flitwick lecture and Ginny's quill scratching against the parchment. She always tried so hard. Harry looked at her face. She had dark circles under her eyes betraying her lack of sleep. His fault, no doubt. She always had a hard time going to sleep when he was out of the castle. Flitwick took a break from lecturing and had the class practice wand movements. Harry discreetly put his hand on Ginny's upper thigh and then moved it up and around to the small of her back as she took out her wand. He was rewarded with the cutest blush on her cheeks. She glanced at him sideways and smiled. Flitwick started walking around so Harry reluctantly removed his hand. He heard Sarah chuckle at him from behind.

"Harry, I don't think I'm doing this right," Ginny said after a couple of moments of wand waving. Uh huh. Not doing it right. Harry heard Sarah almost snort.

"I'll show you." Harry scooted his chair closer—not that he could get much closer—and snaked his arm down hers, holding her hand where it was placed on her wand. "Like this," he said close to her ear as he moved her hand like the spell required.

Harry heard her heart speed up and breath increase. Sigh. Flitwick was heading their way again. Harry took his hand off of Ginny's and picked up his own wand. She smiled at him, her cheeks still red, but there was a hardness about her eyes that Harry understood. He looked back at her with an expression that showed his unwavering refusal. Ginny didn't look dissuaded. Harry figured he knew exactly what she was thinking. She would win him over eventually, as she did with anything else that she wanted. But she didn't understand that there was nothing she could do that would change his mind on this. She turned around to talk to Sarah and the locket she wore around her neck caught the light. Eternity.

No, Harry thought forcefully to himself. They would spend their life together, as normal as they could, and then she would die…and so would he. He should be grateful that he had her now, after only living for eighteen years. Many people never came close to having what he and Ginny did. And he got to spend an entire lifetime with her. But somehow, when forever was possible, a lifetime just didn't seem like enough.

oOo

Ginny knew that she was starting to get on Harry's nerves. Not in the annoying way that she did with her brothers, but in a deep, emotionally tiring way. She could see it in his eyes, a tortured sort of pain that had not been there when she'd first started asking.

"You don't understand what you are asking," Harry said for what seemed the millionth time.

Ginny did know. Perhaps she didn't know as well as Harry did—seeing as he was an actual vampire—but she had thought it through. She knew all she was giving up: her friends, her family, and her life. It would be extremely difficult to watch her family grow old and die. She didn't even know if she was allowed to see them again after she became a vampire, but if she had to choose between losing her family or losing Harry…she was ashamed to admit that she wouldn't hesitate. This, along with many other similar thoughts, were what brought about Ginny's constant badgering. Perhaps there was a more mature way of going about getting what she wanted—what she needed—but Ginny didn't know of one.

"I do understand," she replied, like always.

"Once you're turned, there's no going back," Harry said. That one was new.

"Of course there's no going back."

"Magic can't even make you human again." Something in his tone made Ginny wonder what he was getting at.

"Of course it can't," she replied, looking at him shrewdly.

Harry looked down at the couch they were seated on and traced the patterns on the cushion. "I never told you this," he started hesitantly. "There just never seemed to be a good time."

"Told me what?"

"I found out that Roger had been working on a way to change us back."

"And there isn't a way," Ginny stated matter-of-factly.

"I wish there was," Harry whispered. "I wish we didn't have to argue about this every day. I wish I never…" he trailed off, leaning his head on Ginny's shoulder and burying his face in her hair.

"I understand I can't change back. I understand what I'm asking of you—"

Harry was suddenly no longer next to her. He was seated at the opposite end of the couch, arms crossed across his chest. "Do you?" he asked harshly. Ginny couldn't remember him ever talking to her like that. "Do you really think you understand? I'm sure you don't. Because if you did, you wouldn't be asking in the first place!"

Ginny could only stare at him, stunned.

"If you understood, then you would know that vampires don't just go around turning others. They might try, but they end up killing instead. You can't understand what you're asking of me. You're human! We can't just up and go 'I think I'm going to make a human into a vampire today.' It's not that simple. I would actually have to bite you, have your blood in my mouth! You don't understand the temptation…. How easily I could kill you without meaning to. Why do you think it took Voldemort so long to come to power? It wasn't because he couldn't, he just wanted to be secure in his position. It took him forever to find a vampire strong enough to turn him. And the one that did is as old as Aurora. _Centuries_ old. It took that long to build up the resistance needed to actually taste human blood and not drain the source of it! I'm one _year_ old. How could I possibly…?"

Harry stopped rambling. There was a white blur and he was suddenly by the window the Room of Requirement had created, his back to Ginny, staring off into the darkening Forbidden Forest.

"Harry?" Ginny asked tentatively after she realized he wasn't moving enough to be breathing. He must really be upset. But she had to ask. "Harry? That part about Voldemort being turned…what did you mean?"

Ginny didn't think it possible, but somehow, Harry became even more still. Granite.

So he hadn't meant to say that. Had he thought she would be scared by the thought? After everything else he had told her? Ginny tried to figure out how she felt about the whole thing, excluding the fact that Harry hadn't told her. All in all, she wasn't too surprised. How else would Voldemort be able to command six—well, five now—other vampires plus all those newborns without something else besides magic? Even Harry had said magic didn't stand much of a chance against immeasurable strength and speed. And she finally thought she understood why Harry believed himself the only person capable of defeating Voldemort. They were unique. Magical vampires. But that still didn't explain why Harry didn't tell her. And it didn't look like she would be getting answers to her questions anytime soon.

Once she settled her thoughts on Voldemort, a feeling that had been poking at her heart for a while assaulted her full force. Guilt. Harry had finally told her what he had been sidestepping around for weeks. Yes, he didn't want her to have to go through the agony of becoming a vampire. And yes, he didn't want her to have to deal with the constant pain of thirst. But more than that, he didn't think he was strong enough to turn her. She finally understood what he had been saying when he said she would be throwing her life away. He didn't mean it in the human sense, he meant it literally. All his warnings…Harry had been warning her against him in his own weird way. Like Ginny was going to listen.

But the guilt was still there. Ginny knew he must hate himself for being weak—however hypothetical it was—and she hadn't been helping at all. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the sofa. She was surprised it took him this long to snap. For weeks she had bothered him daily about turning her. She looked back on a few occasions and felt as if she could see into his mind. She watched the scenes from Harry's angle. How each of her pleads were not her asking to stay with him forever, but instead begging for death. How each of Harry's refusals weren't denying Ginny—and himself—happiness, but saving her life. She had been so selfish, so caught up in how she felt about the whole situation that she had forgotten to look at its affects on Harry. And with that thought, she felt bitter hatred toward herself like she never had before. Causing Harry pain was worse than anything she could do to herself.

Needing to make it right, make Harry somehow see that she was sorry, Ginny opened her eyes and got up off the couch. There had to be a way to tell Harry she hated that she had caused him so much pain, that she understood where he was coming from, but that—regardless—she still wanted to be turned, because she believed he could do it. There were no words for such an emotion. Or at least, none that Ginny could think of. She went and stood behind him, pressing herself into his back and wrapping her arms around his middle. Her head rested between his shoulder blades. As if it was instinct, he placed his hands on top of hers.

"I'm so sorry," Ginny whispered miserably. "I wish you knew how sorry I was."

An idea sprang into her head. She detached herself from Harry's back and moved around so they were facing each other, her back having to press against the window in the small space, for although Harry moved his arms, the rest of him hadn't.

"Read my mind," Ginny almost commanded.

Harry's eyes locked onto hers. "What?"

"Read my mind," she insisted. "I give you permission."

Ginny didn't know if he was going to, or if he was going to tell her before he did it, so she brought up all the thoughts and feelings that she had during their conversation. She focused on the guilt and hatred toward herself, but also the unwavering certainty that she felt about becoming a vampire.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked hesitantly, like he wasn't sure that he wanted to even consider what he was about to do. Ginny nodded her consent.

A brief moment passed. Harry's eyes were still fastened to hers. They were darker now, more so than Ginny had seen them in a long time. Ginny didn't feel anything and she wondered whether he was actually doing it. And then his arms slowly and carefully brought her to him. Ginny tried to read his expression, but it was still stone. Time passed slowly. Or maybe a lot of time passed quickly. Ginny couldn't tell. Harry held her in his frozen embrace until the sun finished setting. Something finally gave, and Harry—bringing Ginny along with him—collapsed onto the sofa.

"Thank you," Harry said fervently. "But I'm still not going to turn you," he said gently.

"And I'm not going to give up," Ginny told him.

Harry sighed and tucked her head under his chin. "I figured you wouldn't. I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"I deserved it, I think."

"No, you didn't," he assured her. "I overreacted."

"I've been making things worse. I know. I'm not giving up, but I'll stop bugging you about it constantly."

Ginny kept her word. A week went by and she hadn't mentioned it once, choosing simply to stare him down occasionally, which Harry took in stride. Still, even with Ginny's lessened pestering, Harry spent more and more time in that still state that he got in when he was worried. It was in this state that one morning found him, sitting beside Ginny in the common room while she worked begrudgingly on her homework. NEWTs were weeks away and it seemed the professors felt that instead of using their free time to study, they should write essays instead. It was extremely difficult for Ginny to muster up enough emotion to even care about studying for the NEWTs, much less writing essays that didn't really matter. A delayed reaction of decided that she was going to live forever. But Harry insisted, sticking to his whole 'I'm not turning you' position that he had taken on the subject. In some ways, he was starting to sound like her mother, telling her how doing well on her NEWTs would get her a good job. Eh. A job wasn't so appealing to her now, not when she had the option of just being with Harry forever. He had plenty of money for the both of them, and it was obvious he was not adverse to spending it on her.

An owl tapping on the window interrupted her musings. Harry stood up so fast he was a blur. Ginny looked around frantically to see if anyone had noticed. Sarah still had her head bent over the same essay that Ginny was working on, except her paper was almost filled and Ginny's was almost blank.

"Too fast," Ginny muttered under her breath. Harry seemed to remember where he was, because as he walked to the window to let the owl in, his gait was normal, slow, human. It wasn't like Harry to forget how to act in public.

Harry opened the letter on the way back over to Ginny, and then he laid it on top of her essay.

_Harry—_

_Roger's home._

As soon as Ginny had read it, Harry picked it back up and lit in on fire with his wand. At least he remembered to use it, Ginny thought.

"I don't know how long I'll be gone. Don't go anywhere alone. Take my Cloak with you, just in case. Keep your wand in your pocket so you can get to it quickly. If you feel like some—"

Ginny cut him off once she realized he was going to keep up the stream of craziness he was spurting. "Harry! Calm down. I'll be fine. Don't worry. I love you." She kissed him in a way he usually didn't allow in public. She hoped she'd sidetracked him enough. "Go see him."

Harry wasn't breathing, or moving, she realized once she pulled away. His black eyes were unblinking as he watched her, and Ginny froze also. Black eyes. He hadn't hunted in a very long time. And she had practically thrown herself on him. Uh oh.

"Leave. Leave now." Ginny heard the slight tremor in her own voice. Without a word, Harry disappeared. Sarah looked up from her paper confusedly.

"Where'd Harry go? Wasn't he just here?"

"He left a minute or so ago," Ginny replied innocently.

oOo

Smiling faces greeted him when he reached their usual clearing in the Forbidden Forest. Everyone was there except Aurora. Adam, Jane, Tamah, Roger. The three vampires from France: Samantha, Emily, and Cecilia. And seven that Harry didn't know the names of. The ones Roger had brought back. With Aurora, they had sixteen total. Harry felt a small jolt of triumph. It might just be enough.

Harry greeted everyone and Roger went around and made introductions. Harry had to admit, Roger found some of the most lethal looking vampires Harry had ever seen. But they seemed friendly enough, though it was obvious that the majority of them were here simply for the fight rather than the cause. Harry talked with them for a while, swapping stories. Roger came over while one of the vampires, Rachel, was telling him about how she liked to stalk her prey for a couple of days…freak them out and make them all paranoid. Harry disgustedly noted how all of her victims were males. Her and Aurora would get along nicely, he thought.

Roger pulled him away soon afterward, and Harry patted him on the back, not able to thank him for fear of Rachel hearing and becoming offended.

"Look, I know that it's important for you to be here, but Tamah's been saying how black your eyes are and…well…how long has it been since you hunted?"

Harry looked at the ground sheepishly. "Two weeks."

"You need to go hunting now, Harry," a higher, lighter voice said. "Just like you then need to go back to Hogwarts."

"Why?" Harry asked Tamah. Roger was watching her face intently, determined not to miss a word she said.

Tamah shrugged delicately, her dress rustling with the movement. "I've just had a bad feeling about Ginny all day."

"I think you should go," Roger said, agreeing wholeheartedly.

"Fine." Harry saw no reason to argue. He said his goodbyes and headed out.

Perhaps it wasn't the smartest thing to be hunting during the day, but keeping himself from giving Ginny hope that he would turn her one day certainly occupied a lot of his mind. He couldn't believe how long he had gone without hunting, and it had been too close today in the common room. At least Ginny had understood. Last time he had hunted he had stayed within the Forbidden Forest, so he ran to a forest some two-hundred miles away this time. It needed to be a short hunting trip. Tamah had said she'd had a bad feeling about Ginny. Harry felt that he was the reason for Tamah's feeling, but he hadn't told her that. And if it wasn't him that was causing it, then he'd rather return to Hogwarts sooner than later.

Harry—eyes bright and golden—didn't get back until late afternoon, sneaking onto the grounds through the Forbidden Forest. About five-hundred yards from the edge of the woods, he caught Tamah's scent. He followed it and found her pacing anxiously among the overgrown trees. Her hands twisted anxiously in front of her and she was wearing sturdy, dark clothes. It was an extreme change from the light, swishing dress that she had been wearing earlier. Harry opened his mouth to speak when Tamah cut him off.

"Voldemort's coming."


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: And we've finally reached the end! Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews. I'll be posting the betaed versions of the chapters when I get the chance. 1-5 have already been posted. I hope you had as much fun reading this as I had writing it. :)

**Chapter 16: Selfishness**

Harry ran to the Gryffindor common room so quickly that his presence was not noticed by the students or professors he passed. He came to a halt outside the portrait and quickly said the password. It opened and he leaped inside, scanning the room for Ginny. He spotted her over at a corner table among a few other seventh years. She looked up, as if she knew he was looking at her, and smiled. Harry went over to her quickly, pulling her as gently as his haste would allow out of her seat and up the boys' stairs. The seventh years turned to gawk at them.

"Harry," she started worriedly, almost running to keep up with him. "What's going on?" He opened the door to his dorm room without answering. He led her to his bed where she sat down.

"What's wrong?" she said, a little more anxious now.

"I need you to stay in here until I come back for you."

"What?" she asked, alarmed. "Why?"

"Voldemort's coming." He glanced at his trunk and went over to it.

"Then we need to go! We have to fight!" she exclaimed, rising up off the bed.

"No," he said forcefully from his trunk. He grabbed his Invisibility Cloak and the Map and went back over to Ginny. He pushed on her shoulder slightly and she sat back down on the bed.

"Take these. Stay on my bed with the drapes closed. Cover yourself with the Invisibility Cloak. Watch the map to make sure that no one comes up here. You must stay here." His voice was quick and frightened.

"No! I'm coming with you," she said determinedly.

"You can't."

"Why not? I can fight. I can help."

"No." How could he explain this to her? The only way he was going to be able to get through this fight was if he knew she was safe. If he knew, then there was still a reason to live, to fight.

"Please," he said. "Stay here where you'll be safe. The wards I've placed on the room should hold long enough. Please, Ginny." He was begging now.

"I don't understand. I know magic. I'm _good_ at magic, you tell me so all the time. Why can't I fight, too?" He sat down next to the bed and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned her head into his chest.

"I… If you went with me… I wouldn't know if you were safe. What if you—" he took a deep breath. "If you were… killed… then there would be no reason for me to fight. I _have_ to know you're safe." They sat in silence a moment.

"Promise you'll come back," she barely whispered. Harry heard it easily. He closed his eyes. There was no way he could truthfully promise such a thing. It was very likely that he would be killed today. But if he could keep Ginny safe, keep her away from all of that…

"I promise." He kissed the top of her head and then stood up, pulling her up with him. "I love you," he whispered in her ear. She looked up into his eyes. Harry saw hers were filled with unshed tears. He vowed to do whatever he could to make sure he kept his promise.

"I love you, too," she said. She stared at him for a moment. "You promised." And with that she kissed him as hard as she could. Harry savored the feeling of her lips on his and reveled in the warmth she provided. His thoughts were becoming clouded and… she tasted so good. He ran his fingers through her hair, soft and silky like always. She moaned and her breath came more heavily into his mouth. He felt his lips start to raise up over his teeth and the venom leak into his mouth. He pulled away, holding her face in his hands. His hands were wet and he saw Ginny was crying. He wiped her tears with his fingers, tracing her lips before he pulled away completely. He walked towards the door and opened it. Right before he closed it, he heard her whisper,

"You promised."

oOo

Harry couldn't decide, as he ran through the school towards Hagrid's hut, if he should have locked the bedroom door or not. On the one hand, if he had locked it and for whatever reason Ginny needed to get out, there was no way for her to do that. But then again, Harry wasn't completely sure that she would stay in the room. Knowing, however, that when he left her she was safe in the room, he could pretend that that was where she still was, and would remain during the battle.

When he arrived at Hagrid's hut, his entire family plus those they were able to convince to aid them were there. Where Hagrid was he didn't know, nor did he care. Voldemort was coming.

"How many are there?" he asked immediately after entering the hut.

"We don't know yet. He's been really secretive about how many vampires he's told about the meeting. A lot is all I can give you," Aurora said wearily.

"What's the plan?" he asked as he turned to Adam.

"They're meeting in some clearing in the woods. There are lookouts spread out in the forest, protecting Voldemort and whoever he has with him. They'll have to wait for a sufficient number to get there. Aurora said that it was only Voldemort, the Cold Ones, and a few of the more talented newborns there at the moment. The rest were told to come at seven, right?"

"Yes," Aurora answered. "That's when the Death Eaters are suppose to attack the castle. Voldemort's using them as a distraction so that he can get to you more easily," she told Harry.

"Does Voldemort expect all the newborns to show up?"

"Joseph says that a lot of them won't."

"We should be thankful for at least that," Harry replied. Shouting cut off whatever he was about to say. It was far away, but the family could easily hear it. It was coming from the castle. The Death Eaters were here.

"I thought you said seven!" Harry exclaimed.

"That's what…Joseph told me," Aurora said, her eyes going wide.

Tamah turned to stare at Aurora for a long moment and then gasped. "I—I'm sorry, Aurora," she said sadly.

Aurora looked at the small girl with wide, fearful eyes that became more confident. "He still told me they were coming. So he might not…I can still…"

"Does that mean that he lied about a lot of the newborns not showing up, too?" Harry asked urgently.

Aurora just stood there, staring unseeingly at Harry.

"I don't know," Tamah answered in a small voice.

"Damn it," Harry growled to the silent room. "We have to take into account the fact that there could be at least forty newborns coming, along with Voldemort and his five. What should we do?" he asked the room in general.

"We should take down the guards first," Adam replied.

"We can watch and take down the newborns as they enter the forest," said Samantha, one of the vampires Jane and Adam had found in France, motioning to the large group behind her.

"And we'll find Voldemort," Tamah said as she moved closer to Harry.

"What about the people in the castle?" Harry asked.

"Once we search the forest for guards, I'll go up," Roger volunteered.

"And I'll go with him," Jane added.

"Aurora?" Jane asked kindly, coming to lay a hand on her arm.

"I'll help search for guards," she answered in a monotone, her eyes unmoving.

The group dispersed, and Harry followed Tamah into the Forest, his eyes and ears alert for anything unusual. A thought occurred to him, suddenly, and in the serious moment he felt like laughing. Harry was sure Dumbledore would call in the entire Order, so he'd find out eventually. Still… Harry's smile gave him away, and Tamah asked,

"What?"

"The final battle is taking place and none of us told Sirius. He is going to be pissed."

oOo

The screams are what got to her. Ginny tried to keep her promise to Harry and stay in the room, but there was no way she could with her friends in danger…with Harry in danger. She had to go help. After her mind completely made up, she jumped out of bed and threw on her sneakers as fast as she could. She took a hair tie from her nightstand and pulled her hair into a tight ponytail. As she ran out of the room, she pulled her wand out of her pocket and held it tightly in her fist. The adrenaline started pumping through her, and her hand was shaky when she reached for the doorknob.

The younger Gryffindors were huddled together in the common room. Another scream sounded from outside the portrait hole, and although it seemed impossible, they squeezed even closer together. Taking a deep breathe that did nothing to help the sick feeling that was beginning to form in her stomach, Ginny walked past the children and opened the portrait slowly, wand at the ready. Not seeing anything, she slipped quietly out and closed the frame silently. Another scream. Ginny jumped and kept her back pressed to the wall, her eyes flicking back and forth down the hall. She wished she was invisible and then wanted to smack herself. She left the cloak and the Map in the room. Her feet started to move toward the portrait hole to go back and get them when the screaming started again…and didn't let up. It was coming from her right. Ginny left the wall and ran down the hall, stopping at the corner and peeking around.

A small boy, he couldn't have been older than a second year, was writhing on the floor. A figure in one of those horrible masks and black cloak was standing over him. Ginny leveled her want and whispered a Stunner. It hit the Death Eater in his side and he collapsed to the floor. Ginny ran over to the boy and recognized him as one of the younger Gryffindors, so she helped him up and practically ran him to the common room. After helping him through the portrait hole and making sure he was conscious, she ran upstairs and took the Cloak. She then ran back out the common room in order to…well, she didn't really know. She ran down the flights of stairs towards the sound of fighting.

What was she doing? Why was she going? Was it to fight? To help stop Voldemort from taking over? Or did she just want to find Harry, to make sure he was safe? Or did she want to help Harry fight? Because wanting to help Harry fight was completely different than just wanting to help fight.

The noise grew louder. There was more yelling and movement. She ran down the stairs, luckily drawing no attention. Once she got down there, however, curses started coming towards her. She needed to find Harry, she realized. That was where she needed to be.

Ginny looked frantically around the hall for Harry. She dodged to the side and threw herself up against the wall, barely missing a jet of green. She took a deep breath and continued through the fray, shooting Stunners at whichever Death Eaters she could. She didn't know how he was doing. For all she knew he could be… She wouldn't let herself think that. Lights danced in front of her face as she continued her path, the flashing was slightly distracting. She saw McGonagall ahead of her, dueling with someone she didn't know. Ginny move as close as she could without the Death Eater noticing then shot a powerful Stunner at him. It hit him dead on and he fell immediately to the ground.

"Professor," she gasped out. "Have you seen Harry?"

"I saw him go out the front door quite some time ago. Miss Weasley, it's safer in the castle. Please, say inside."

"I'm sorry, but you know there's no way I can do that." McGonagall nodded her reluctant acceptance as Ginny dashed passed her in a mad rush to the door. She slammed past Colin who yelled after her. She did not even turn her head.

She threw open the doors and was finally outside. Ginny surveyed the grounds, but the sun was finally setting and she couldn't make out the faces. Then she glanced over to the forest and saw lights flashing among the tress. Spells. She looked around the grounds that she could see and tried to find any people that weren't using magic at all. It was difficult, but from what she could tell, everybody fighting had a wand. She made the connection. Harry and his family must be in the forest. There was only one way that she was going to get there safely through the masses of Death Eaters that littered the expanse between her and the trees. She pulled the Invisibility Cloak that Harry had thrust into her hands. She wondered how he would react to her use of it.

She managed to navigate through the bodies without much hesitation. In a short amount of time that passed too quickly and not fast enough, she was at the edge of the forest. She walked slowly and deliberately, keeping the Invisibility Cloak over her. But then it snagged on a branch and made a rustling noise. Before she knew it, the cloak was pulled off of her and her arms were forced violently behind her. The grip was cold and intense. Her heart was frozen with fear and she tried not to tremble.

"Move," the rough voice of her captor commanded her. She obediently started walking forward. There was no way she was strong enough to escape. If there was a way to reach her wand though, then the playing field might be a little more leveled.

"Make one move towards that little stick of yours and I'll snap both your wrists in two," he growled. It left Ginny with no doubt that he would.

She stumbled along in front of him, but he soon tired of her slow pace. He picked her up and threw her head first over his shoulder, keeping his grip tight around her knees. Her hair was blown forward over her head as he started to run. The blood rushing to her face and brain was intensely uncomfortable, as was the feeling of the wind against her skin. When Harry ran with her, it was a freeing, liberating experience. This hurried sprint through the trees made her sick to her stomach. She didn't know if it was from the actual running or the impending feeling of death. There was no way that she could get out of this mess. But maybe he was going to where Harry was. The thought made her feel slightly better.

She felt them slow down and she was thrown to the ground. She landed on her wrist a funny way and she was pretty sure she heard a snap. A sharp pain shot its way up through her left arm.

"Get up," he commanded. Ginny finally got a look at her captor as she stood up slowly. He was not much taller than she. He wore all black, but they were Muggle clothes. His feet were bare. His skin was the same chalk color that Harry's was when he hadn't been hunting in a while. The main difference, though, was that his face was twisted into a sick sort of smile, and his blood red eyes had a hungry look in them. He didn't give her time to become more frightened. He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her through the trees to a small clearing. In the center of the clearing was a tall figured clothed in a black robe. Around him stood four others. All of them had pale skin and blood red eyes that turned to her when she approached. It was painfully obvious that Harry was not here. Ginny couldn't decide whether to be relieved that he was safe from these creatures at the moment or let down because now there was no one to rescue her. No one knew where she was.

The one in the center turned around and removed the hood he was wearing. Ginny gasped slightly. Even though she had never seen him before, she knew instantly that this creature was Voldemort. It was almost impossible for Ginny to believe that he was the cause of so much destruction. He looked just like all the other vampires she had met. Pale, graceful, beautiful. But there was an evil in his face that the Stewarts did not have. It marred his beauty. He held her gaze intensely with his crimson stare. She couldn't look away. She tried, struggled mentally against him, but somehow she couldn't make her eyes move. Finally, he glanced at the one standing behind her.

"Bring her forward Phillip." Ginny felt herself pushed from behind and she unwillingly moved forward until she was standing in front of Voldemort with the other four forming a half circle behind him. He gestured towards the trees and Phillip was gone in a white flash.

"So you must be the famous Ginny Weasley. I cannot express how pleased I am to have you here with us," Voldemort started off conversationally. Ginny could barely listen for the effort it took to keep standing. "Tell me, I am truly dying to know," he paused to laugh a little, "you have absolutely no fear of Harry Potter, even though you know what he is. Why is that?" Ginny kept her mouth shut and fervently hoped for Harry to come.

"Come on my dear, I really want to know. Why aren't you scared of he who has the desire to drink your blood?" As he said this, an invisible force lifted her head up so she was looking directly at him. Figuring she might as well get it over with, she said defiantly,

"He loves me." Voldemort smiled evilly down at her.

"And you think that this would stop him from killing you?"

"Yes." It was becoming easier for her to talk. Somehow, her fear was dissipating.

"Even if your blood was exposed to him?"

"He hasn't killed me before even though I've bled several times with him near."

"Really?" Voldemort actually seemed intrigued at this. He looked at the four standing behind him. "I wonder if they would have the same amount of self-control that your Potter seems to have."

Ginny watched apprehensively as four pairs of eyes turned hungrily to stare at her. It was obvious that they would not. Well, she wasn't going to do nothing while her death was planned. Now that her fear had gone down to a reasonable level, she tried to figure out how she could get her wand out of her pocket without anyone noticing. But then what would she do after that? Her scheming was interrupted when all five of the creatures turned their heads towards the trees to her right. She couldn't see what they were looking at. Whatever it was though, had even Voldemort looking slightly worried. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought. Perhaps someone was coming to save her.

Then their heads turned suddenly to her left. Maybe people were coming to them from both sides. She rejoiced at the thought. Her looked back over to her right and saw huge clouds of dark purple and black rising up from above the treetops. It wasn't that far from here.

Voldemort nodded to one of the vampires and then his followers all took off into the trees.

"It seems, my dear, that we must leave. It has been a pleasure talking with you, though."

Deciding this was as best of an opportunity as she was going to get, she pulled out her wand and said, "Avada Kedavra," with as much force as she could. The faint green light missed Voldemort by inches, and his eyes narrowed.

Ginny didn't even see it coming. Voldemort's hand struck out and she felt herself flying through the air, landing hard against a pile of jagged rocks near the border of the clearing. She felt a sharp pain in her arm, her back, her head…and then there was nothing.

oOo

Tamah motioned with her head to her left. Harry nodded and the two silently crept through the underbrush. They could no longer hear the others. Harry trusted they would be able to kill the guards. Tamah and Harry were going to find Voldemort.

In front of him, Tamah pushed aside a small branch. It stirred the air and Harry smelled the faint smell of Ginny. He froze mid-step. It was fresh. Tamah had smelled it too, for she looked back at Harry with wide, fearful eyes. Steeling himself, Harry moved forward with an intensity that he had lacked earlier. Tamah followed warily. For what seemed like an eternity, Harry weaved his way through the trees that made up the eerily silent forest.

The two came upon a scent that wasn't as fresh as Ginny's but unfamiliar to Harry. Tamah mouthed "Voldemort" at Harry. He took in a deep breath and memorized the disgusting smell. Tamah led the way, following the weaving scent through the trees. Deeper into the forest they got, and then they caught a whiff of a fresher trail on the wind. He was close. Harry took off through the trees, Tamah barely keeping up with him.

Sounds of fighting reached Harry's ears. Ripping. Screeching. He smelled the sickening smell of vampire burning. Voldemort's trail was leading him into the fighting, but then suddenly veered off into another part of the forest. Harry turned sharply and continued, wondering which vampires were the ones that were burning. The smell got stronger and stronger until another clearing and…

Voldemort.

"I have been waiting a long time for this moment."

oOo

Excruciating pain was all Ginny felt when her mind returned. She opened her eyes and saw nothing but the inky black of the forest canopy. Ginny's sight wavered and she felt herself slipping back into unconsciousness. A feral growl brought her back to reality. It was coming from her left. She tried to move her head to see who it was, but realized with a jolt that she couldn't.

"Don't," she heard a familiar voice say.

Another growl was heard and then Ginny heard a sound that sounded like two boulders crashing into each other. Another snarl.

"Move," a deep voice commanded.

"No," the familiar voice answered again. "She is Harry's mate. I will not let you kill her."

"How can you jus stand there, with her blood all over like that?" the deep voice questioned, his sentence ending in a snarl.

"Because she's family. I love her. And you'll have to kill me to get to her."

The almost constant, low growling stopped. "I would never do that," the deep voice replied softly. Ginny could almost feel him pulling himself together. There was a dull pain in her arm that was growing more persistent. Her eyes were too heavy to keep open anymore. The pain was growing and closing her eyes seemed only to increase it. She tried to focus on the conversation beside her instead.

"That's why you never told Voldemort," the familiar voice said. Ginny knew it had to be one of Harry's family members, but which one? It wasn't Tamah, her voice was much higher. So it was either Jane or Aurora. It must have been Aurora; Jane wasn't connected to Voldemort or his vampires in any way.

"I knew he would kill you," the male voice answered.

The pain was beginning to get to her. It felt like her entire body was broken. Aurora said something, but it didn't register with Ginny's brain. The voice answered her, but Ginny didn't catch any of that, either.

"We're all better off without him. You don't have to take orders. We can be together without worrying about anybody else. No more babysitting, no more threats. Voldemort does not own you. You owe him nothing, especially not your loyalty. What has he done for you?"

The deep voice said something so fast Ginny couldn't understand.

"I love you. If not for yourself, do it for me," Aurora pleaded.

Ginny waited for the other voice to answer, but there was nothing but silence. She continued to wait, but Aurora never said anything else, either. Perhaps they had left. Ginny didn't have enough strength to open her eyes. She resigned herself to waiting. It was as if she could feel her life draining from her, but she wouldn't succumb. She had to hold on. For Harry.

oOo

Just the two of them. There were no Death Eaters, no Cold Ones, no Stewarts. It was just Harry and Voldemort, and one of them had to die. Harry focused all his senses on Voldemort, his prey. Voldemort's wand was in his hand and his arm streaked out and Harry sidestepped the green curse. Apparently Voldemort had yet to realize that Avada Kedavra could not kill vampires.

Harry didn't need to use magic. He launched himself at Voldemort, slamming his fist into his stomach. Voldemort buckled and immediately stood back up, sending another Killing Curse at Harry. There wasn't enough time to move, and Harry didn't want to give away his precious position so close to the enemy, so he let the curse hit him. Shock overcame Voldemort's face for a moment, and Harry used his hesitation to land a kick across Voldemort's back. There was a loud crack and Voldemort snarled. Harry went for his neck, but Voldemort ducked and threw a punch at Harry. It missed by centimeters, but Harry was able to grab the arm Voldemort had shot forward and he cast a severing charm on it. Voldemort screamed in pain as Harry took his arm and threw it aside.

Voldemort relied too much on magic. It was obvious that he did not have much experience in hand-to-hand combat. Harry—who had grown up without the use of magic to defend himself—had been taught by Adam the intricacies of fighting and had sparred against Roger constantly, especially after he had first been turned.

Frustration was evident on Voldemort's face as he tried, and failed, to hurt Harry. The sounds of his family approaching caught Harry's attention. This needed to end, now. The castle was still being attacked, and there were still newborns out in the forest if his family was still here.

With a snarl Harry charged at Voldemort again, catching him around the waist and throwing him face first to the ground, with his arm bent behind him. Harry slid his teeth over his neck quickly, a high squealing accompanying the severing. And then his head was off, following closely by Voldemort's other arm and two legs.

The Stewarts were standing in a protective circle around the clearing.

"Burn him," Harry ordered. Adam stepped up and piled the pieces, lighting them on fire. A deep purple smoke furled into the sky.

Harry expected to feel relief, relief that this was all over. But he didn't feel anything. He looked at Adam, who had been joined by Tamah. Both of them were staring at the charred remains of Voldemort. Harry turned to Jane.

"What happened?"

She smiled. "All the newborns have been taken care of, the ones that came here at least. So has Voldemort's guard. Joseph and Aurora, they killed them all. Even Zeke."

"Joseph?" Harry asked astonished.

Jane nodded. "He changed sides. They're at the castle now, helping Roger." Her face turned serious. "Harry," she said carefully. Harry recognized the tone and braced himself for the bad news.

"It's Ginny. Voldemort…he—"

"Where is she?" Harry interrupted.

"Aurora found her. She said she was still conscious, but she had lost a lot of blood. She tried to find you, but Roger said he needed help at the castle so she told me to tell you. But you were fighting Voldemort…"

"Where. Is. She." Harry demanded.

"Back that way," Jane answered, pointing into the trees.

Harry took off, trying to catch her scent. It didn't take him long. Her blood seemed to be everywhere. In the wind, in the leaves of the trees, in the dirt on the ground…

And then he saw her, tossed aside like a broken rag doll, complete with red hair. Her freckles stood out shockingly from her pale face, half of it caked in blood. Her right arm was bent up behind her at a strange angle. Her shirt was thoroughly soaked with blood. It was a miracle she was still breathing. Harry was beside her in a heartbeat, asking himself over and over how he could have let this happen.

Now was the moment of choice. He had almost no time left. He had to make the decision. It had been easier to say no to her when she was standing in front of him, alive and healthy. He wondered why he had ever denied her such a thing. He was about to lose her. No. He was _going_ to lose her. He knew enough to know that no amount of magic could bring her back from this state. Now that he was faced with actually losing her, he didn't find his next action as hard as he thought he should have.

He lifted her wrist to his mouth. The wrist that had tormented him all year. His lips placed a gentle kiss on it. Then he slowly, delicately, sunk his teeth into her flesh. He felt the poison seep into his mouth, mixing with the blood she was losing. Her blood. Harry had never tasted anything that could compare. He swallowed involuntarily and then couldn't stop. He watched in horror as he continued to drink her blood. But would it really make a difference if he stopped? She was practically dead anyway. Even if he didn't kill her, she wouldn't be alive anymore. She would be one of the damned. But she had said she wanted to be. If he stopped, she would forever be with him. If he continued, she would forever be lost. He wrenched his mouth away, angry with himself for dooming her to his life, and disgusted with himself for doing what he had long promised himself he would never do: drink her blood.

oOo

Ginny could not open her eyes. She felt pain in every inch of her body. She didn't know if she had enough strength to breathe anymore. She couldn't hear anything, she couldn't feel anything except pain. And then, more pain was added to it. Something was on her arm…or her hand maybe, she couldn't tell. And somehow, she knew what was happening. What would happen. Nothing Harry had ever told her could compare. The pain she had experienced earlier was nothing compared to this.

A burning fire consumed her, writhing through her veins, engulfing her senses. Suddenly Ginny felt something cool wrap around her hand. The sensation gave her a miniscule amount of relief. She tried to open her eyes to see him, as she knew he would be, sitting beside her with an anxious and pained expression on his face. Her eyes just wouldn't open though, and she focused on the feel of his hand covering hers, knowing that this wrenching, excruciatingly painful experience and everything she was giving up was worth being able to be with Harry forever.

For eternity.

3 Fin


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